3D Education Content

Shelfield Community Academy

Published: 5 February 2013

Teachers and students at Shelfield Community Academy describe their thoughts about using 3D content to support teaching and learning.

Principal: Shelfield Community Academy
'Of all the new technologies that we use at Shelfield, the one that has been the most profound has been 3D. You only have to see the engagement and the progress of our youngsters to realise how valuable it has been to us.'

Students
'3D hooks into our imagination' and when its used in lessons 'we remember the facts of what we have learnt.'

Teachers
'It is a fantastic tool for developing a student's ability to look, interrogate, enquire and ask questions about the materials being studied.'

The company behind Shelfield Community Academy's 3D solution is Gaia Technologies. In recent years the company has developed a 3D portfolio which now extends to over 4,000 3D models and 3D immersive environments. Notable examples of their work include the 3D immersive environments for the World War I Trench and the Rainforest. The immersive environments are designed so as to enable teachers and students to author, edit and add their own content and learning objects to the 3D immersive environments.

3D hooks into our imagination

The 3D education publishing industry is still in its infancy. The majority of 3D installations within the education sector are to be found in large lecture theatres, school halls and in classrooms. The business model for the 3D industry has been built around the predication of these large 3D installations. As technology advances we will see schools supplementing these existing solutions with the introduction of 3D monitors and the distribution of 3D content onto popular tablet devices such as the iPad. The availability of content distribution channels such as Apple's iBook Store and Amazon's Kindle Bookstore will enable a rapid take up of 3D content through digital textbooks in 2013.

The challenge for the educaion sector is to grasp the opportunties that open up through the greater availability of 3D digital resources. Schools will need to ensure that their teachers and students are equipped to travel through this ever changing digital landscape so that learning opportunities can be effectively supported. Schools are quickly recognising the power of 3D technology to magnify the potential of all learners and educators alike. More importantly they accept that 3D technology alone is not enough to enable positive change within an education setting. By placing a greater emphasis on promoting positive cultural and pedagogic change the impact of new technologies and services such as 3D in the classroom will be more pronounced.

Schools are recognising the power of 3D technology
to magnify the potential of all learners

Footnotes:

Innovative Technology Film Series - 3D in the classroom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V3YQk5J4SPM