USING MARKER BOARDS/CHALKBOARDS

Robert E Gerber, Faculty of Education, Port Elizabeth Technikon, South Africa

It's often assumed that anyone can use these things well. One thing is often forgotten - why use them? To use them wisely, there has to be an intended learning payoff for participants. The following ideas combine good reasons for using such visual aids with techniques for using them professionally.

1 Have a clear purpose in mind.

For example, participants may be expected to note down what you write, or the visual display may be intended to be there for a while to provide focus for subsequent participant activity and discussion.

2 Don't write too small.

Your writing needs to be visible from the furthest point in the room - this determines the minimum size of your writing on marker boards or chalkboards.

3 Consider other ways of disseminating information.

It is often better to issue a handout containing information than to write it up yourself for participants to note down. The use of marker boards or chalkboards is probably best restricted to things that emerge during a session, rather than the basic information on which the session is based.

4 Use marker boards/chalkboards to capture matters arising.

When ideas emerge during a session, 'get them on the wall' where they can safely reside until such time as they can be adequately dealt with. This is particularly useful for defusing confrontational situations, and is much better than trying to pretend that there is no cause to debate the matters arising.

5 Normal handwriting is usually not suitable.

Unless you have a (fast) naturally attractive script, it's probably better to use capital letters than 'joined-up writing' when using chalkboards or marker boards. Ordinary script on prepared overheads may indeed be easier to read than capitals, but the same does not seem to apply to handwriting on boards.

6 Use 'bullet-points' rather than whole sentences.

The time it takes to write long sentences can be irritating to participants, especially if they're also trying to note the sentences down themselves.

7 Squeaky chalk is painful!

Most of us remember this from our schooldays. Breaking a stick of chalk in two usually yields a chalk surface which writes more freely.

8 On marker boards, use the right pens!

Pens need to be non-permanent and erasable! Also, the thickness of the pens needs to be appropriate for the size of the room and the maximum distance from participants' positions.

9 Use colours wisely.

A single colour soon becomes monotonous. Separate colours can help different points to stand out from a list. Colour can be used to prioritize and to show what's really important.

10 Don't erase too soon.

Participants can feel manipulated if you remove information from their view before they've had the chance to note it down themselves, or at least complete their thinking about it.