A reprieve for the humble teacher's blackboard? A return to good old chalk and high-pitched grating noises?
Keeping in step with the digital age, the government embarked on an ambitious programme a couple of years ago to give every London secondary school at least one computerised whiteboard. The smart boards were seen as a good way to improve pupils' results.
However, a report by the Institute of Education for the Department for Education and Skills found that whiteboards in class were failing to make a positive difference.
In fact, their use was found to even "slow the pace of whole class learning" and lead to "relatively mundane activities being over-valued".
The institute's team visited London schools in 2004-05, a year after a government pledge to introduce the boards. Known in technical speak as IWB (interactive whiteboards), teachers can use them to access computer programmes, images, music and video, on a large screen at the front of the class.
Pupils can touch the board to interact with what's on the screen. All very hi-tech, but are they necessary?
The report said IWBs could contribute to the transformation of teaching methods "under the appropriate circumstances". But they added: "Statistical analysis showed no impact on pupils' performance in the first year in which departments were fully equipped".
Perhaps the smart boards may not be so smart after all?
