Digital interactive boards, where materials can be sourced and even saved, have taken over from the traditional blackboards. In this interview, Charles Okechukwu Ozoemelam, who markets such interactive boards, speaks on the advantages of the items and how their use can help students learn better and make the work of a teacher easier.

By Adesina Wahab

What are the products you deal in?

Our brand of teaching aids is LEAD. At Zuma Marketing Limited, we have been dealing in the product since 2012. LEAD Interactive Display Board is designed to enhance and maximize the effectiveness of meetings, virtual learning and collaboration within a work environment. The use of LEAD interactive display board can also be extended beyond general business meeting rooms to various places such as classrooms, homes, fashion design offices, hospitals, military command centres and architectural offices.

Our prestigious brand, LEAD Interactive display board, comes with STEM education resources which users can have a lifetime access for free. This is one of the features that set us apart from the rest. 

What are the benefits of this device?

The benefits are many for the various stakeholders, that is the students, teachers, school owners, the government among others. For students, it engages them in the learning and teaching system. It gets their attention 100 per cent. Also, it allows the students to collaborate. For instance, many students can work simultaneously on the board. They can solve problems together and many students can make contributions at the same time.

It makes learning easy for the students too. In a typical classroom, students have different learning capacities. Some students learn quickly when things are explained to them in visuals, others through audio, and some kinetic. The board comes with all these features. It has quality educational pictures and diagrams that students can label.

It also has speakers. The students not only watch but hear what is being explained too. It also helps them to interact with the board and also helps them to retain what is being taught. Students can be engaged as groups or individuals. When it comes to making presentations, it helps the students present their assignments themselves. Students can also retain what they learned.

For teachers, though some teachers are afraid of using it, we have taken up the challenge to train them to be 21st Century teachers who are able to work anywhere in the world. It helps teachers develop personal resources. A teacher that uses it does not need to wipe off what he has written as it is done when using a blackboard. All that a teacher has taught can be saved and titled as he likes. The material can even be edited. It can be used in another session, as it is saved on the board.

Teachers will have control of their classes and with the use of the board, students learn faster and a teacher is in control and in charge of his class. It allows access to internet and online research can be done. Downloaded materials can be saved too. Teachers are able to carry students along, writing and reading skills are enhanced.

For schools, it helps them graduate quality students that will stand the test of time. Schools that have embraced the technology are experiencing increase in students intake. Schools that know the importance of brand equity know that something must stand them out. For school owners, because materials can be saved on the board, owners or the management can access what the teachers teach and know how to assess the performance of each teacher.

What is the patronage like?

Actually, we have more private schools among our clients, but public schools are also coming up. The Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, recently bought some for some public schools. We are campaigning to reach out to more schools. We have schools in places like Ibadan, Yobe, Katsina, Benue, Abia, Edo among others buying from us.

What are schools not using this missing?

Apart from the fact that we won’t be at par with other nations, there will be a deficit in knowledge if we don’t embrace the culture. It is the future.

How easy is it to be acquired?

It is affordable and with N350,000, one can get a package with a projector and a laptop. We also work with banks for our customers to get the boards. Because of the power problem in the country, solar power can be used to power it. That will be cheaper than the use of generator. Government should also subsidize the cost of solar equipment for businesses to run well.

How are you popularising its use?

We have a collaboration with the education channel of the Nigerian Television Authority where the board is used on their programmes. Also, we have donated it to a school as part of our corporate social responsibility.