Case Study: Burnley College achieves student‑centric, collaborative active learning with SMART Technologies' SMART Board interactive whiteboards

Collaborative solutions from SMART playing pivotal role

Burnley College, a high‑performing further education provider (top 10% nationally for A Levels and Level 3 vocational results, Ofsted “outstanding”), relocated to an £81m purpose‑built campus in 2009 and aimed to shift to a more student‑centric learning model. The challenge was to equip six flexible Active Learning Zones with modern ILT, replace 40 outdated whiteboards, and rapidly upskill staff so interactive technology would become integral to everyday teaching and the college VLE.

The college installed 120 SMART Boards, introduced hands‑on training via a Teacher Innovation Centre and a two‑day "Classroom Essentials" induction (including a 15‑minute practical task), and integrated SMART Notebook with Moodle in wireless ALZs supported by 14 dedicated ALZ staff and laptops. The result was quick teacher adoption, more collaborative pedagogy, higher student engagement and a stronger platform for ongoing innovation in learning.

Burnley College