Use of Smart Boards as a Pedagogical Tool in a Public Universities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

In engendering this world-class fitness for purport, Sri Lankan universities play a pivotal role by being responsive, demand-led organizations that use e-technology to amend participation, achievements and the progress of their students. Objective of this study is to decide (1) the required skills, (2) the extent of utilization, and (3) the possible challenges facing the utilization of Smart board in the public university in the North- Western province of Sri Lanka. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and was carried in the North- Western province of Sri Lanka, which equipped with Smart board as pedagogical implement. The population for the study was 105. Sampling was not required because of the manageable size of the population. A structured questionnaire was utilized for data accumulation and there were divided into 3 sections predicated on the categorical purposes of the study. Reliability of the instrument was resolute utilizing Cronbach alpha method which yielded 0.78. 105 replicas of the research instrument were administered but 101 were returned and utilized for analysis. Findings of the study revealed that the Smart board is poorly utilized by the lecturers in the University in Sri Lanka and that the lecturers possess average operational skills for the utilization of computers and web browsers but remotely possess the required skills for the efficacious utilization of the Smart board. Withal Findings revealed that unstable power supply interrupting continual use, arduousness in learning the manipulation and operational adeptness and arduousness in preparing electronic note for the course content, etc. are the challenges to efficacious utilization of the Smart board. In Conclusion the study has identified the required skills, extent of utilization and the challenges facing the utilization of Smart boards.