Interactive whiteboards are large writable display screens that can be connected to a computer, allowing its screen to be displayed on the board through a projector. They are also sometimes referred to as electronic interactive whiteboards. These interactive whiteboards are typically mounted on a floor stand or hung on the wall.

The main idea of using interactive boards is to deliver visual presentations on various subjects by actively engaging a group of people or learners. The advanced technology used in interactive white boards offers a better replacement for the existing traditional whiteboards or conventional flip charts. Today, a variety of branded interactive whiteboards are available.

The touch screen surface of interactive whiteboards needs to be aligned with the image to be displayed. This alignment or calibration involves displaying a range of dots on the surface of the touch screen. The user is allowed to select the dots by using a stylus or finger.

A wide range of accessories are available for use with interactive whiteboards, such as projectors, tracks, mobile stands, printers, tablets, personal response systems, wireless units, and remote controls. Some capacitive interactive whiteboards facilitate direct integration with leaner response systems, which allow students to take part in tests or examinations after a session or solve puzzles or problems directly. Classroom response software is available for use with interactive whiteboards in order to arrange and develop such activities and tests based on different standards.

An interactive whiteboard, when combined with the computer, writing device, other peripherals, and software, becomes a complete interactive whiteboard system that can be used to conduct a learning session.

The connection is achieved by using a wired medium, which could be a serial port cable or a USB. Wireless interactive whiteboards can also be connected to peripherals wirelessly, using Bluetooth or infrared waves. The data projector projects the information displayed on the computer screen onto the surface of whiteboard. The operating software is used to manipulate the projected images and reflect the changes in the data stored in the computer. Some advanced interactive systems use plasma screens in place of the projectors. However, plasma screens are very expensive.

A presentation delivered via an interactive whiteboard may comprise video clips, color visuals or content from the Internet. Interactive display screens are touch-sensitive. Hence, the host or the user who is delivering the presentation makes use of a pointing device such as a pen, stylus or a finger, which acts like a mouse and controls the computing device programs from the whiteboard. The user can make additions, modifications or deletions to the information projected on the interactive whiteboard and the corrections thus made are transferred and saved onto the PC or the laptop for future retrieval.