Video Conferencing & Meeting Rooms
Why Are Schools Still Using Traditional Whiteboards When Samsung Has Gone Digital?
Because a whiteboard is cheap, never needs updating and works for every teacher on day one, and because the research shows that a digital board on its own does not raise results. What improves learning is how teachers use it, and that takes time and training. Many schools have moved to interactive displays, and spending on them remains large: Futuresource expects education display spending to hold at about US$7 to 7.5 billion a year from 2025 to 2029, with Asia-Pacific accounting for a little over half. The schools that stay with whiteboards are often making a rational choice, not a backward one. For those that do switch, Samsung's education line is the Android-based WAF, with the 65-inch WA65F listed at S$3,212.50 at SourceIT (31 Oct 2026).
What does the research actually say?
| Study | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| London secondary schools whiteboard expansion | No impact on pupil performance in the first year departments were fully equipped; any boost in motivation seemed short-lived | Moss et al., Institute of Education, DfES report RR816, 2007 |
| Primary schools whiteboard expansion | Length of time pupils were taught with a board was the main factor in gains; after two years, maths gains of about 2.5 to 5 months for some groups | Somekh et al., report to DfES, Apr 2007 |
| Study funded by a whiteboard vendor | Average gains of about 16 on teacher-made tests over two years; not randomised, and the programme included teacher training | Marzano Research for Promethean, reported by Education Week, Nov 2010 |
| OECD analysis of school technology | "No appreciable improvements" in reading, maths or science in countries that invested heavily in ICT | OECD, Students, Computers and Learning, 2015 |
Studies as published. The UK studies are from 2007 and looked at the previous generation of whiteboards, but their findings about teaching practice still hold.
The board does not teach. It gives a good teacher more to work with, and gives an unprepared one more to go wrong.
Why do whiteboards survive?
- Cost. A marker board costs a fraction of a 75-inch display, and it needs no network, software licence or replacement after a few years.
- Reliability. It never needs a reboot, an update or a login.
- Teaching habits. The 2007 primary-school study found teachers "almost universally" started by using the interactive board much as they had used the old whiteboard.
- Training gaps. The same study found informal help from colleagues was more common than formal training, and teaching assistants and headteachers received none.
Why are schools going digital anyway?
- Lessons can be saved and shared, so absent students and remote learners see the same board. See Can a Digital Whiteboard Bring Remote Students Back Into the Conversation?
- Video, simulations and apps sit on the same surface as the teacher's notes.
- Projectors need replacing too. When a classroom projector reaches the end of its life, an interactive display is the obvious alternative, and the whiteboard can stay; see Are Traditional Projectors Holding Back Modern Classrooms?
- Policy direction. Singapore's MOE EdTech Masterplan 2030 aims for "technology-transformed learning" and says its approach to AI "puts pedagogy first". It does not specify digital displays, which leaves the hardware choice to schools.
What has Samsung built for classrooms?
Samsung's school displays are the WAF series and the newer WAFX-P, rather than the Flip, which is aimed at offices. The WAFX-P runs Android 15 and is Google EDLA certified, so it comes with the Play Store, Google Classroom and Drive. Samsung's AI tools on the board include Circle to Search, AI Summary for lesson recaps and Live Transcript, and Samsung says the 2024 WAF series is compatible with them. The WAFX-P also has a 48 MP camera with a privacy cover and microphones for hybrid lessons. The two lines are compared in Samsung Flip Pro vs Samsung WAF.
How should a school decide?
- Start with the teaching. List what teachers would do differently with a board. If the answer is "the same as now", wait.
- Pilot in a few classrooms, with teachers who volunteer, for at least a term.
- Budget for training, not just hardware. The research found time with the board and support for teachers mattered most.
- Keep a whiteboard. Many classrooms work best with both, side by side.
- Plan management. Updates, accounts and screen-sharing settings need an owner. See Is Your Interactive Display Secretly a Cybersecurity Risk?
Why expensive classroom technology often goes unused is the subject of Why Your Classroom's Most Expensive Technology Might Be Its Least-Used.
Buying in Singapore
SourceIT lists the Samsung WA65F (S$3,212.50), WA75F (S$5,587.50) and WA86F (S$6,862.50), and the camera-equipped WA75FX-P (S$6,994, ask us about availability). Prices listed 31 Oct 2026. Browse Samsung interactive displays. For a quotation or a classroom pilot, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page. Schools can also purchase through GeBIZ.
Frequently asked questions
Do interactive whiteboards improve student results? Not on their own. A 2007 UK study found no impact in the first year, while another found gains grew with the time pupils were taught with the boards. Teaching practice and training made the difference.
Why do schools still use traditional whiteboards? They are cheap, reliable and need no training or updates. Many schools keep one alongside a digital display.
Which Samsung interactive display is for schools? The WAF series and the newer WAFX-P. They run Android with Google EDLA certification and include Samsung's AI teaching tools.
Does the Samsung WAFX-P have a camera? Yes. Samsung's Singapore page lists a 48 MP camera with auto framing and a privacy cover, plus microphones with a 10 m pickup range.
How much does a Samsung classroom display cost in Singapore? At SourceIT on 31 Oct 2026, the WAF series starts at S$3,212.50 for the 65-inch WA65F.
