3D teaching

This month’s Features 3D Teaching at the Abbey School – case study Unlike a textbook, 3D is able to add many layers and brings unprecedented depth to what is being learnt. Here we look at one school’s use of ‘DLP’ projector technology.

If you were to draw a diagram of a plant cell, what would it look like? For decades, teachers have taught children the structure of a plant cell using a twodimensional illustration, a plan view of the cell cut in half. The Abbey School in Reading has gone one better by helping children better understand complex subjects through the application of 3D projectors using ‘DLP’ technology - which helps turn two dimensional topics into an engaging 3D learning experience.

The Abbey School is an independent day school of over 1,000 girls aged 3 to 18. The school’s pupils are high achievers and many go

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on to study at the very best universities after achieving excellent grades at A level (in 2010 70% were A*/A) or the IB Diploma.

The school recognises that all of its pupils are ‘digital natives’ – those that have been using computers from a very young age. Because of this, the schools wanted a 3D projection system, which would provide teachers

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with an easy to use teaching aid and help pupils understand difficult topics.

Kathryn Macaulay, Deputy Headmistress at The Abbey School, began looking at cost-effective DLPequipped projectors from a variety of manufacturers, which could be installed in classrooms and linked to a specialised laptop running 3D content.

She said: “The priority for us is that

we can run 3D content to help our pupils learn using the best possible resources.”

For those who don’t know, DLP stands for Digital Light Processing and is one of the world’s most prevalent imaging technologies for digital front projectors. DLP’s high refresh rate allows projectors to handle a 3D image that can be viewed via active 3D glasses supplied by a specialist 3D manufacturer.

Projectors can be broadly categorised into two technologies, DLP (Digital Light Processing) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). This refers to the internal mechanisms that the projector uses to compose the image.

Until recently, LCD was reserved for less expensive designs while DLP models held the performance edge for high-end projectors. However, recent advances have seen both technologies converge and in most cases there is less of a reason to pick one technology over another.

DLP works by thousands of mirrors set out in an array of pixels

to replicate the projectors resolution.

Each mirror is thinner than a fifth of a human hair. With the use of hinges the DLP chip mirrors create light and dark pixels by being either off or on. The white light generated then is shone through a colour wheel of up to six colours. The human eye sees all the colours and the result is a full colour image.

Using the inherent speed of DLP technology, DLP 3D projectors can output video and images at an astonishing rate of 120Hz, allowing you to show full screen, full colour, and stereoscopic 3D. The 3D effect is generated by splitting this signal into two standard video streams, one for each eye. Using DLP® Link™ technology, the 3D glasses synchronise with the image on screen to filter each stream to the correct eye. Your brain then combines the two streams to make them jump into life. The 3D features of DLP projectors can only be used with compatible 3D content.

Kathryn Macaulay, who also takes responsibility for the school’s

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ICT policy, first introduced DLP projectors in April 2010 after seeing the potential advantages of using 3D projection. The Emmbrook School, a state comprehensive school in nearby Wokingham for 11 to 18 year olds, has also been trialling a DLP digital 3D projector over the same period.

Claire Loveday, Curriculum Leader for Biology at the Emmbrook School said, “We’ve found that pupils respond well to being taught with the 3D projectors. The children are visibly more interested in what we are teaching. We use the projector primarily for Biology, but we expect our new software upgrades will widen this to Chemistry and Maths, as well as Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. The 3D projector is particularly effective for

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helping pupils follow difficult topics that are not easy to teach without a visual demonstration.”

3D teaching The plant cell project is The Abbey School’s latest example of the power of 3D teaching. Two classes of the same age group and ability were asked to create a model of a plant cell; one class had been taught using the traditional 2D illustration and the other class had been taught using a DLP-equipped 3D projector.

The difference between the two classes’ models was marked. The first class – having seen only a flat cutaway of a cell – created simple twodimensional structures. The second set of students, taught using 3D,

produced complete models showing the plant cell in three dimensions.

These pupils successfully understood the structure of the cell and recreated a more accurate model.

Ros Johnson, Head of Science at The Abbey School: “Both groups of children were given identical briefings and access to the same modelling materials. The results revealed to us how little pupils understood using the traditional plant cell illustration.”

In a further test, four classes of year eight pupils (age 12 to 13) were taught the structure and function of the human ear. In multiple-choice tests conducted the week following the lessons, the 3D-taught students produced significantly higher marks compared with the groups taught using traditional methods. The mean score in the 3D lessons was 8.33 out of a possible 10, while the

traditionally taught children returned a mean score of 7.00.

Separate research also indicates that a typical lesson which would normally require two to three class periods to complete in 2D, can be taught in just one class period in 3D. Comparing two groups of children, one taking 2D and the other a 3D lesson, in the first classroom (normal lesson), the control group test scores increased 9.7 percent. But the group that received its lesson in 3D saw a 35 percent increase. The reasons for this can be summarised as:

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3D brings excitement to learning; 3D lessons are captivating and engaging; Many of the abstract subjects become tangible for students; The understanding of complex ideas improves; Knowledge retention increases.

Adopting 3D in the classroom need not be a complicated process, and there are now numerous education packages available. So if your school doesn’t have a 3D classroom yet, is it time to consider it?

Abbey School – equipment used ■ XpanD active 3D glasses were used.

■ Middlesborough-based Amazing Interactives supplied the 3D content for The Abbey School and Emmbrook School’s 3D projectors. http://www.reachout-interactives. com ■ Optoma 3D-ready projectors were installed in both The Abbey School and Emmbrook School (­http://­ www.optoma.co.uk). e-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.com

3D Resource examples: Interactive 3D Animation ­http://­www.mennellmedia.co.uk/

Cyberworld 3D Teachers resource booklet http://­www.imax.com/cyberworld

XpanD http://­www.xpand.me/ education/

Dinosaurs 3D http://­www.dinosaurs3dmovie.com/

Amazing Interactives ­http://www.reachout-interactives. com

Deep Sea 3D Teachers resource booklet. http://­www.imax.com/deepsea

African Adventure 3D: Safari in the Okavango http://­www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/ bfi_imax/education/educational_ imax_films/african_adventure_ 3d_safari_in_the_okavango

Haunted Castle 3D http://­www.nwave.com/ hauntedcastle

Free resources for Biology http://­www.zingeducation.co.uk/ Free-resources-Biology/s284002

Lions 3D: Roar of the Kalahari http://­www.nationalgeographic. com/roar/ Mysteries of Egypt 3D Teachers resource leaflet http://­www.nationalgeographic.com/ egypt/imax http://­www.ancientegypt.co.uk/

Roving Mars 2D http://­www.rovingmars.com/ Sea Monsters 3D http://­www.nationalgeographic. com/seamonsters/educators Space Station 3D Teachers resource booklet http://­www.imax.com/ spacestation The Wildest Dream http://­movies.nationalgeographic. com/movies/the-wildest-dream/ educator-resources/ Wild Safari 3D http://­www.nwave.com/ wildsafari

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