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Configuration |
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Configuration
Variability
Despite some general consistencies in the physical configurations
of blackboards, one should not discount the diversity of sizes and locations.
The variability of usage, both historically and in the present day, is
equally important. The University of Toronto presents a useful case study
for demonstrating the diversity of blackboard usage and installation.
Of the over twenty classrooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms and auditoriums
considered, the variability was considerable. While most rooms contained
one or two boards, whether in single or multiple sections, one room had
six boards. Boards were typically located at the front of lecture halls
and auditoriums, and more often on the sides of seminar rooms.
At the University of Toronto, location and use was also highly dependent on the function of buildings. In a seminar room in the Faculty of Education, for example, chairs were placed around workshop tables, facing towards each other, with the blackboard clearly not the focus of attention.
Table 1
Classroom Configurations at University of Toronto
| Location | Type | Blackboard | Relationship | |
| BF 315, Bancroft Building | Seminar Room | Two, two-sectioned boards | Seminar tables. A number of chairs do not face board. Pull-down screen in front of board. | |
| CB 114, Best Institute | Lecture Room | One, three-sectioned board | Fixed seating with tablet arms. All chairs face board, with good visibility. | |
FE 137, Faculty of Education |
Workshop Room | One, single-sectioned board | Workshop tables. Half of chairs face board. Board not major focus. | |
| MS 3264, Medical Sciences Building | Seminar Room | One, two-sectioned board | Long seminar tables. Proportion of chairs not facing board. | |
| NU 104, Nursing Building | Lecture Room | One, two-sectioned board | Long tables. A number of chairs not directly facing board. | |
| RL 14081, Robarts Library | Seminar Room | Two, single-sectioned boards | Long seminar tables. A number of chairs not facing boards. | |
| SF 3201, Sandford Fleming Building | Lecture Room | One, multi-sectioned board | Individual desks. All chairs facing the board, with decent visibility. | |
| BA 1130, Bahen Centre Info Tech | Auditorium | Two, two-sectioned boards on vertical rollers | Long tables. All chairs facing the blackboard with good visibility. |
Table 1 shows a sample of eight classroom situations. In a number of cases, the blackboard is not the focus of lecture or seminars, demonstrated by its location in the room. However, its existence in each situation confirms how it has been, and continues to be, considered as essential in educational institutions.
Conventions and precedents for blackboard use existed in contrast to what
was a highly personal activity. It was clear that methods of use were
highly dependent on the traits of the user. This is particularly apparent
when one looks at the realm of higher education, where the blackboard
takes on a more supplementary role. A number of professors, interviewed
at the University of Toronto, commented on the positive qualities of the
blackboard. Despite the current prevalence of powerpoint and other computer
based teaching devices, some appreciated the flexibility of the blackboard.
The blackboard allows the user to erase and easily alter information.
(Interview) It can be used
to structure or outline a lecture, note the key events, figures or dates
on a subject or illustrate an example.
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