ACTIVboardNZ – Collaborative Classroom Systems

Over his 35 years in education, Dr. Robert 'Bob' Marzano has worked in every U.S. state and a host of countries in Europe and Asia.

The central theme of his work has been translating research and theory into practical programs and tools for K-12 teachers and administrators. In addition to his duties at Marzano & Associates, he is a Senior Scholar at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) and an Associate Professor at Cardinal Stritch University.

Bob received his B.A. degree in English from Iona College, his M.Ed. degree in Reading and Language Arts from Seattle University, and his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Washington.

Bob is the author of more than 20 books, 150 articles and chapters in books, and more than 100 curriculum guides and related materials for teachers and students in grades K-12.

Marzano Promethean ActivClassroom Study

In 2009 Dr. Robert Marzano began a multi-year study to determine the effectiveness of the Promethean ActivClassroom as a tool to help improve student achievement. The results are nothing short of amazing!

The study, "Evaluation Study of the Effects of Promethean ActivClassroom on Student Achievement" found that students taught using the Promethean ActivClassroom achieved an average of 17 percentile points higher than students taught by the same teacher, teaching the same content, using traditional methods. An experienced teacher can expect even greater results.

Study Findings
The following excerpt was taken from the Executive Summary:

"The average effect size for all 85 independent treatment/control studies was statistically significant (p < .0001). When corrected for attenuation, the percentile gain associated with the use of Promethean ActivClassroom is 17 percent (/ES = .44). A reasonable inference is that the overall effect of a 17 percentile point gain is probably not a function of random factors that are specific to the independent treatment/control studies; rather, the 17 percentile point increase represents a real change in student learning." (Marzano, 2009).

An average "real change in student learning" of a 17 percentile point gain caused by the Promethean ActivClassroom is truly remarkable.

Additionally, the study conclusion states:

"The meta-analytic findings suggest relatively large percentile gains in student achievement under the following conditions:

a teacher has 10 years or more of teaching experience
a teacher has used the technology for two years or more
a teacher uses the technology between 75 and 80 percent of the time in his or her classroom
a teacher has high confidence in his or her ability to use the technology"(Marzano, 2009).

The "relatively large percentile gains in student achievement under the following conditions" caused by the Promethean ActivClassroom is a "29 percentile gain." This is an extraordinarily high gain in academic achievement."

More detail is contained in the complete report which can be downloaded below.

Marzano Research Brief – PDF 80 KB
Report om ActivClassroom – PDF 415 KB
Boosting Student Achievement with Technology – PDF175KB