Tel: 0800 035 0799 Email:
education@misco.co.uk Visit:
misco.co.uk/education W:
edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology NEWS & CURRENT AF FAIRS | INDUSTRY INTRO | 05
more. Mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops – from an early age, children have a world of excitement and information at their fingertips. Importantly, it's engaging, it's searchable and it's under the complete control of whoever operates the technology. The traditional approach of one authority figure talking to a reactive audience is over. Education needs an interactive makeover and many educators are hard at work figuring out how the latest tech can help. A couple of years ago there was a
W
lot of buzz around 3D projection in education. The problem was that at the time there simply wasn't enough educational content available to justify the expense. Content will always remain king, and over the past year or two we've seen rising levels of 3D educational material become available, which has been gradually accelerating demand. Schools want a projector to be three things; simple, affordable and interactive. 3D technology is now at a point where it can meet all of these requirements.
The complexities around 3D projection have all but fallen away with the latest developments in 'passive' 3D technology. Previously, the only option for schools was to equip classes with 'active' powered 3D glasses and this caused two big problems for schools. Firstly, each set of glasses would cost between £60- £70 and this introduces a substantial cumulative expense when you consider that a typical classroom has over 25 students. Secondly, puting this technology in the hands of students would mean that glasses could be easily damaged, with repair and replacement proving to be complex and costly. Passive 3D projection, simply put, takes the technology out of the glasses, removing any issues around charging, synchronisation or flicker. It operates using two projectors, working together to send different images to the left and right eye producing a more detailed, crisp
e've come a long way since the chalk and blackboard. Today's
students expect
ready to take on another dimension?
The days of teachers rigorously guiding students through textbooks line by line are in
many cases a distant memory, says Paul Wilson, Product Manager at Epson UK
classroom
Is your
Paul Wilson
experience for the student. The glasses are similar to those you might find in a 3D cinema and cost only a few pounds each. To give a broader perspective, schools planning to install a brand new classroom projector may pay anything from £500-£1,500, but a set of active 3D glasses could add an additional £1,500 or more. A typical passive 3D projector installed with the requisite silver screen and a full set of 3D glasses will come in at around £2,500, so the cost is not prohibitive. Over the long term the passive projectors will deliver financial savings vs. their active alternatives, and make a significant contribution to transforming the classroom experience. 3D technology – and the content that makes it useful – is still somewhat niche, and this will likely be the case for a few years to come. Whilst we don't see the need for 3D to make its way into every classroom, it has already started to transform the experience in science and other related classes where visualisation is a key aspect of learning. In our view, the learning experience of children could be dramatically improved if each school had at least one 3D projector, as a special shared resource, to be reserved for those classes where the technology could deliver maximum impact to the learning experience. Imagine, for example, a biology lesson looking at the heart. If you're not studying medicine the only chance to examine the organ will likely be through a textbook or television programme. A 3D projector will allow the teacher to visualise the heart and its constituent valves, pumps, tissues, muscle and nerve fibres. In addition, students will be able to get hands-on and explore the various components themselves and in this way the technology makes the process of learning far more immersive and engaging.
“Education needs an interactive makeover and many educators are hard at work figuring out how the latest tech can help”
Considering student expectations on technology in the classroom, mirrored by an increase in educational content, alongside innovations (and falling prices) in 3D technology, we anticipate 3D projection becoming more widespread in schools and universities in the years ahead. This is great news for students and teachers alike as the classroom of the future takes on a new dimension. ET
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68