Video Conferencing & Meeting Rooms
Why Your Classroom's Most Expensive Technology Might Be Its Least-Used
Often it is, and the screen is rarely the reason. Interactive displays are one of the biggest items in a classroom budget, yet many are used as a projector replacement: the teacher shows slides, the pens stay in the tray and nothing pupils produce is saved. The research on interactive whiteboards points the same way. A 2007 study of London secondary schools found "no impact on pupil performance in the first year", while a parallel study of primary schools found gains grew with the length of time pupils had been taught with the boards. What made the difference was how teachers used them. A current Android board such as the LG CreateBoard 75TR3DQ-B, listed at S$2,855.00 at SourceIT (listed 31 Oct 2026), can do far more than show slides, but only if lessons are planned around it.
What does the evidence actually say?
| Study | Finding | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Moss et al., Institute of Education, London (2007), secondary schools | No impact on pupil performance in the first year departments were fully equipped; any boost in motivation "seems short-lived" | Measured early, before practice had changed |
| Somekh et al., MMU and Nottingham Trent (2007), primary schools | Time taught with a board was "the major factor" in attainment gains; after two years, KS2 maths gains of about 2.5 to 5 months | English results inconclusive |
| Marzano Research Laboratory (2010), for Promethean | Average gain of about 16 on teacher-designed tests across 5,000+ students | Vendor-funded, not randomised, training included |
| OECD, Students, Computers and Learning (2015) | "No appreciable improvements" in reading, maths or science in countries that invested heavily in ICT | About ICT in general, not displays specifically |
From the published reports (the Moss and Somekh studies were written for the UK Department for Education and Skills), the OECD, and Education Week's coverage of the Marzano study.
Why do expensive boards end up as screens?
The 2007 primary study noticed a pattern that still holds: teachers "almost universally start by using the IWB very much as they used their previous traditional whiteboard". That is a sensible first step, but many never take the second. The same study found informal help from colleagues was more common than formal training, and teaching assistants and headteachers received none. The London study's conclusion was blunt: "discussion of pedagogy should precede and embed discussion of the technology".
Singapore's own direction says much the same. MOE's EdTech Masterplan 2030 describes an approach that "puts pedagogy first and students at the centre". It does not mention displays at all, which is a useful reminder that the board is a tool for the lesson, not the lesson itself.
A board that only the teacher touches is a very expensive projector.
How can a CreateBoard fit into a lesson plan?
The useful question is not "what can the board do?" but "which part of this lesson gets better if pupils can write, move and share on a large screen?" Some ideas that map onto the CreateBoard's published features:
- Start with retrieval. Put a problem, map or diagram on screen and have two or three pupils annotate it at once. The 65TR3DQ-B datasheet lists up to 50 touch points and two pens, so several pupils can work together rather than queue.
- Bring pupils' work to the front. CreateBoard Share mirrors from tablets and laptops through a web page, with up to nine screens shown together according to LG. Comparing three different solutions side by side is a better discussion than one model answer.
- Annotate over anything. Write on top of a video still, a source document or a worked example, then save it so the lesson does not vanish when the board is wiped.
- Support language learners. LG's June 2025 Singapore announcement lists live subtitles and translation, video summary and Circle to Search among the AI features of the CreateBoard Standard and Pro. Check which features your exact model and firmware include before planning around them.
- Use Google tools if your school does. The TR3DQ runs Android 14 and is Google EDLA certified, so Google Play and Google apps are available on the board itself.
Signs your boards are under-used
- The pens are missing, flat or still in the box.
- Only the teacher ever touches the screen.
- Lessons look the same as they did with a projector.
- Nothing written on the board is saved or shared with pupils.
- Relief teachers cannot get the board working without help.
- Nobody knows who manages updates. LG's ConnectedCare remote management is sold separately.
Two or three of these usually point to a training and planning gap, not a hardware problem. Our posts on whether projectors are holding classrooms back and whether interactive displays are becoming giant tablets look at the same problem from different angles.
What makes adoption stick?
- Plan the lesson first, then decide where the board helps.
- Train in departments, with real lessons, not a single vendor demonstration. The 2007 study found CPD worked best when it supported teachers exploring their own practice.
- Include teaching assistants and relief staff.
- Give it time. The primary study's gains appeared over two years, not one term.
- Keep the board simple to start. Fewer apps on the home screen and one agreed way to share from a laptop.
For a wider look at the upgrade itself, see LG CreateBoard Review: Is This the Smartest Classroom Upgrade in 2026? and our comparison of traditional and digital whiteboards for schools.
Buying in Singapore
SourceIT supplies the current LG CreateBoard TR3DQ range: the 55TR3DQ-B (S$2,141.25), 65TR3DQ-B (S$2,587.50), 75TR3DQ-B (S$2,855.00) and 86TR3DQ-B (S$3,533.75), listed 31 Oct 2026. Browse the LG CreateBoard collection. For a quotation for several classrooms, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Do interactive whiteboards improve learning? The evidence is mixed. A 2007 UK secondary study found no impact in the first year, while a primary study found gains grew over two years. Teacher practice and training mattered more than the board itself.
Why are classroom interactive displays under-used? Teachers often start by using them like a traditional whiteboard or projector, and training is usually informal. Without lesson planning around the board, pupils rarely touch it.
Can several pupils write on an LG CreateBoard at once? Yes. LG's datasheet for the 65TR3DQ-B lists up to 50 touch points and two pens, so several pupils can annotate together.
Does the LG CreateBoard TR3DQ have Google apps? Yes. It runs Android 14 and is Google EDLA certified, so Google Play and Google apps are available on the board.
How much is an LG CreateBoard in Singapore? At SourceIT on 31 Oct 2026, the TR3DQ range is listed from S$2,141.25 for the 55-inch to S$3,533.75 for the 86-inch.
