Transforming the Way We Learn – Will 3D Technology Change the Way We Teach Science?
In a series of thinktanK12 blog posts, we look at some trends we can expect to see in education in the near future, as well as introducing you to some of the influential people helping revolutionize education.
Could using 3D technology in schools help engage kids? That’s what the results of a recent study in Europe of 740 10-11 year olds suggest. The study focused on classes who studied science using traditional methods, and those who did the same lesson but included 3D images.
The students whose lessons included 3D animations remembered and understood concepts better, and their test scores improved twice as much as the traditional students. One teacher involved with the study attributed the success of 3D learning to “the wow” factor, saying the students were more interested and focused thanks to the technology and gave more “elaborate” answers, showing a deeper understanding of concepts.
Similarly, at the University of California, researchers found that students who viewed 3D animations of earthquakes and geological formations were more engaged and “reported a general increase in their interest in science” compared with students who viewed a 2D version.
Critics of 3D learning say it is a gimmick, and argue that the software, projectors, and other technology necessary to implement 3D learning in the classroom are too expensive for schools. But if 3D learning does indeed have the potential to encourage an interest in the sciences, it may be a worthwhile investment, particularly now, when getting kids interested in STEM is more important than ever.
3D technology may now be prohibitively expensive for many schools, but it does seem likely that as 3D movies become the norm, and home technology like 3D televisions, laptops, and smartphones drop in price, we’ll begin to see more (and more affordable) 3D educational apps and software.
What do you think?
Is 3D learning an expensive gimmick or an exciting new way to encourage an interest in science?
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