There was a time when pitching up at BETT with a bunch of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and a visualiser was enough to draw a crowd. Now, the education market is far more niche. In this event preview, AV News looks at the product categories that are likely to draw the buyers and identifies some of the key education technology trends going forward.
For the first time that we can recall, BETT is no longer a ‘must attend’ event for some vendors and distributors active in the education sector. The continuing rise in the status of ISE, coupled with the decline in relative importance of education in relation to other AV markets, has seen a change of direction for some who would be seen as BETT stalwarts in the past.
But, says Martine Dodwell-Bennett, sales and marketing director at Steljes, lest we forget: “Britain is at the forefront of using technology in education. Our schools understand the role that AV has played and is continuing to play, in improving learning outcomes. Their interest in the latest AV technologies has not waned but has been constrained by budgetary issues. We are entering the replacement phase for those schools that brought interactive technologies over five years ago. This is a very competitive market with more choice than ever before and educators have become more sophisticated in their usage of these products.”
Climate change
Since the coalition government came into office, the education landscape has changed beyond recognition, with a new wave of academies and free schools that have more autonomy about how to deliver the curriculum that ever before. Decisions on ICT in the classroom are now being made by the senior leadership team of the school.
Schools are becoming even more aware that they must get best value for their budgetary spend. Many schools already have contracts or formal agreements with their Local Authorities who supply them with certain services. However the greater freedom that schools now have in their purchasing decisions enables them to look at services they can buy from any source. Schools are “cherry picking” some of the services still on offer from their Local Authority and are shopping around for others.
So to an extent it’s open season in education and while BETT 2012 might be as comprehensive as it once was, it is worth enduring the slog to Olympia – particularly for resellers and integrators looking to expand their product portfolios. There are a number of product categories which might not previously been seen as mainstream, but which are now gaining traction with education buyers.
Emerging categories
We have identified five product categories which are attracting growing interest from education buyers newly empowered to buy solutions that match the priorities of their specific institution. These categories include: 3D projection; video communication; control systems; and classroom audio. Trends and solutions in each of these categories are described in detail in the boxes below (although we can’t guarantee that all of the products and technologies mentioned will be represented at BETT 2012).
In addition to these specific categories, also worthy of a visit are those exhibitors showing technologies that provide an alternative to established solutions. The last two BETT shows have seen the introduction of interactive projectors from Epson as Hitachi respectively, and BETT 2012 will see a continuation of the tradition with the launch of new interactive projection solutions.
NEC’s interactive wall mount solution is used in combination with a short throw or ultra-short throw projector, like the NEC U- or MS- Series, or even existing projection equipment. This opens up the benefits of interactivity to a school without a major capital spend. NEC is also a sponsor of TI’s research into the educational advantages of 3D (see the 3D projection boxout).
Another variant on interactive projection is Hitachi’s StarBoard Link EZ. The system consists of a digitiser and “reflective bars”, which can be attached to a wall or an existing dry-erase board. The size of the interactive area can be adjusted to any surface or room size – from 45 inches to 90 inches. The StarBoard Link EZ is delivered as standard with the Hitachi StarBoard software.
Hitachi says that the main advantage of StarBoard Link EZ is its affordability. The system can be used with any existing whiteboard and projector. As all commands can be given by the touch of a finger, which eases concerns about loss or theft of electronic pens.
With the appointment of a new nationwide distributor, eInstruction also has designs on the mobile interactive market, and its Mobi View offers a variation on a theme because it is handheld and can be moved around the classroom. Mobi View is said to have all the functionality of a fixed interactive whiteboard (although we would describe it as a tablet or slate), but its portability allows the focus of instruction to be moved from the front of the classroom, around the room.
It can be used with individuals or groups, providing greater opportunities for student-centred learning. Students can work together, and share their thoughts, ideas and findings. The Mobi View comes with Workspace, the eInstruction software with over 4,000 digital teaching resources and editing tools.
One last mention in the mobile IWB category is the i-Interactor from i-Digital Galaxy – an interactive solution that is said to work with any projectors and Windows computer. The solution weighs less than 1Kg and consists of the i-cam, i-pen, USB cable, user manual, driver CD and hosting bracket. The i-cam is said to detect any information written or drawn on the screen.
The i-pen works as a mouse or digital chalk and operates in multi-colour and multi-width modes and can write, edit or annotate on screen, saving the information into the computer. What it’s like we have no idea, but it sounds like it’s worth a look (or should that be an i-Look?)
Tablets
For educators favouring a more decentralised approach to classroom technology, Avantis World launches LearnPad at BETT 2012 (stand P2) LearnPad is a touch sensitive 10” tablet device that that allows students to access approved applications, websites, flash based eLearning content and other digital curriculum content.
LearnPad is sold with pre-installed content designed to meet specific areas of the teaching curriculum. It also supports existing eLearning content and, unlike the iPad, can run Flash-based activities and websites, from publishers such as Espresso, 2Simple and many others. A web-based central management system allows teachers and administrators to manage and control multiple LearnPads in a school, to group LearnPads together and to control which applications and content are made available.
Schools can create their own user interface for LearnPad and define categories, backgrounds and icons to suit its specific application. LearnPad has a custom designed content delivery system, allowing administrators to upload, store and automatically deliver new content directly to individual or grouped LearnPads from a central location. Teachers can send their own documents, videos, flash content or even applications directly to LearnPads.
Visualisers
Visualisers must now be considered part of the educational mainstream, and almost all of the interactive whiteboard vendors and many projector manufacturers targeting the education market have visualiser models in their portfolios. Among the latest to join the fray is PolyVision’s Fuse (stand D99).
Fuse combines a high-resolution document camera, web camera and scanner in a compact package. Unique to Fuse is PolyVision’s TrueSnap technology which automatically rotates documents, eliminates the bend caused by book-binding and provides photocopies with one press of a button.
Fuse is said to be easy to set up, it’s USB and easy-to-use with functionality addressable through the PolyVision icon strip on the vendor’s interactive whiteboard. New variants on the company’s IWB appearing at BETT 2012 include ēno play, said to be the first ever interactive whiteboard with integrated sound but no visible speakers or amplifiers.
The new audio facility is said to allow all students to hear at a comfortable volume no matter where they are seated. ēno play provides all components in a single compact system, ensuring a safe, uncluttered classroom by removing the need for large speakers and wiring (see the box below for more on classroom audio).
PolyVision is also showing an ultra-short throw (UST) projector for its ēno one product family. With a dedicated projector icon strip for control and 3D-ready capabilities, PolyVision’s UST projector also comes with a 3,000 hour/3 year lamp warranty.
Learner response
In terms of pre-show announcements, the battle between the two leaders in UK classroom technology, Promethean and Smart is limited to a skirmish in learner response (although, as in previous years, don’t be surprised if both companies produce rabbits from hats on the day).
Promethean is showing the new ActivExpression 2. This handheld device incorporates some of the features available from the vendor’s recently ActivEngage Mobile, a virtual learner response system available for the iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, and Android tablets and phones. Equipped with a QWERTY keyboard, ActivExpression2 has full text capabilities allowing students to easily answer in full text, multiple choice and a number of other input modes.
A larger screen accommodates both questions and answers, and the inclusion of a mathematical equation editor adds to the devices’ use in the classroom. Most significantly, from a pedagogical perspective, ActivExpression2 continues to support self-paced learning, in which students progress at their own pace.
Smart Technologies’ announcement is almost the exact opposite of Promethean’s. Smart is showing Smart Response VE for internet-enabled devices. Smart Response VE enables students to log in from any Internet-enabled device, including tablets (such as the Apple iPad and Blackberry Playbook), smartphones (including the iPhone and BlackBerry, the iPod Touch), a home computer or a laptop.
Students can access teacher-created assessments, respond to questions and receive immediate feedback. Smart Response VE integrates with Smart collaborative learning software, consolidating lesson creation, delivery and assessment within a single application. Smart Response VE is offered on an annual subscription basis. It is said to offer educators a future-proof solution for interactive assessment, lowering total cost of ownership and giving educators a higher return on investment.
IWBs and LCD
With no preview details available from Promethean and Smart about impending IWB releases, it is left to the vendors with smaller market shares and newcomers to make the running at BETT2012.
Qomo will show, what it claims, is the largest interactive whiteboard available on the market, at 100 inches. It features an infrared porcelain surface and supports both pen or finger operation and the complete size range includes 48”, 56”, 70”, 78”, and 88” as well as the 100”. Qomo HiteVision offers a variety of audience response systems, ranging from the QRF-300 to the QRF-900, all using the company’s QClick software This can support up to 1,000 users on the system at one time.
While the IWB will undoubtedly feature heavily, our feeling is that much of the visitors’ attention will be taken by interactive LFDs, where sizes up to 82” are promised. After the Turkish tender decision the international education market is a far less certain place than it once was.
Education trends 1: 3D projection
3D: quantifying the advantage
BETT 2012 will be awash with 3D solutions, but what does 3D contribute to learning outcomes? A pan-European pilot project headed by Texas Instruments (TI) DLP has attempted to answer these questions by highlighting the widespread positive impact on how students learn when using 3D content as a teaching tool. These include improved student engagement, enhanced concentration and improved test scores.
TI worked with several 3D DLP projector specialists such as NEC Display Solutions Europe to establish showcases in several European schools. NEC acted as an technology partner in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands – three out of seven European countries, where the pilot was running.
The study compared the difference in comprehension, information retention and overall behaviour between students learning via traditional 2D methods versus learning via 3D projection.
Over the course of the study, 92% of students on average were attentive during 3D lessons, while only 46% were actively paying attention during non-3D lessons. Similarly, on average, 86% of pupils improved from the pre-test to the post-test in the 3D classes, compared to just half (52%) who improved in the 2D classes.
In Germany, primary school pupils at Munich’s Grundschule an der Simmernstraße took part in the pilot project, where a special classroom was set up with computers and interactive whiteboards, along with both NEC 2D and 3D projectors. Individual test scores improved by an average of 17% in the 3D classes, compared to an eight per cent improvement in the 2D classes, between pre-test and post-test.
Across all of the schools involved in the study, 3D shortened the time it took for students to learn concepts, increased their attention spans and resulted in overall deeper thinking from the students. The findings indicate that 3D projection should be considered now and into the future when looking for ways to improve their students learning and engagement.
For the study students were tested before and after the lessons, with one control group learning with 2D methods only, and the other receiving the same instruction, but with 3D content added into the lessons. Students were also tested on their ability to recall the information four weeks later, and researchers collected observational data on the engagement level of students at set intervals during each of the lessons.
Education trends 2: control systems
Bringing it all together
Schools and colleges represent an increasingly complex technological landscape, with multiple technologies and resources to be installed, operated, maintained and managed. Building management software, such as Crestron’s RoomView, having moved from the ‘nice to have’ to the must have category for education buyers.
RoomView is the Crestron real-time helpdesk software designed to deliver a complete facility-wide networked control of AV/IT resources, room scheduling, lighting controls and HVAC. From any PC on the LAN or WAN, RoomView Server Edition offers a simple “at-a-glance” view of the entire control system network.
At BETT 2012, Crestron (stand J15) will be showing how the learning process can be advanced through the inclusion of its interactive controls and automation solutions. Crestron also will highlight how FMs, IT support teams and AV specialists can incorporate building management software to increase productivity and streamline the delivery of service in schools, colleges and universities.
RoomView support is natively embedded into selected third party projectors to deliver built-in direct connectivity and control over the IT network to any compatible device from a laptop or computer. No control processor or custom programming is required.
RoomView Connected devices feature built-in instant help desk messaging and emergency broadcasting to provide a safe, secure classroom environment so teachers have the confidence to focus on teaching. RoomView connected projectors include selected models from Sanyo, Acer, Epson, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Vivitek, ViewSonic, Promethean, Optoma, NEC, Eiki, Dell, Christie, Casio and BenQ.
With education buyers increasingly aware of the total cost of ownership of their AV resources, Crestron will also show Fusion EM software – an energy management solution for organisations of any size from schools to whole universities campuses. Fusion EM tracks an organisation’s carbon footprint and to actively manage and schedule temperature set points, lighting levels and demand response settings. Fusion EM automatically turns off lights and reduces HVAC use in unoccupied spaces. It is ideally suited for end-of-day shut downs and holiday settings too.
Crestron will also show a couple of other technologies that support emerging education needs. Capture-HD, for example, provides teachers and presenters with a one-button solution to schedule, record, publish online and view lectures, presentations and seminars. Students and staff can view presentations and lecture series in HD from wherever and whenever they choose, including from popular mobile devices such as an iPad or laptop, providing more options for accessing academic content.
Finally, Crestron’s latest addition to its line of easy-to-use AV presentation control systems for classrooms is onCue. The onCue BPC-8 Basic Presentation Controller provides teachers with an intuitive 8-button keypad for simple one-touch control of classroom presentation systems. Each button provides a recognisable pictured icon for power, volume, projector, screen, computer, and DVD control.
Education trends 3: video communications
Teachers support videoconferencing
Polycom has commissioned a survey of 500 grade-school and university teachers across the UK, France, Germany, Russia and Nordics. The survey found that videoconferencing is the most desirable way for school teachers to communicate with parents, students and colleague, when in-person interactions cannot take place.
The Survey found that:
- Three-quarters of the teachers (77%) think that more investment in videoconferencing would benefit their students and improve their education, citing the increased impact and engagement with subject matter that videoconferencing encourages.
- Two-thirds surveyed (67%) believe that videoconferencing improves core skills for use in later life and the workplace.
- Teachers of school-age children saw the most potential for using videoconferencing as a collaborative working tool (65%) and for virtual field trips (60%) – in other words as a way to expand the scope of the learning experience.
- University tutors, on the other hand, said that a more important benefit of videoconferencing, from their experience, is the ability to include more students – such as reaching home-based students (64%) or enabling those who missed a class to view it later (62%).
- Over half the university tutors (54%) also stated that access to subject-matter experts was an important feature of video conferencing; and 56% see videoconferencing as a means of extending their educational services, therefore enabling them to teach via distance learning.
Polycom education customers have already seen the benefits of utilising videoconferencing. Alan Cameron, education officer for Dumfries and Galloway, says, “Through Polycom’s solutions, we’ve seen teachers sharing ideas, we’ve been able to facilitate Continued Personal Development sessions with staff between schools, and have also developed excellent international links. One school has linked up for home economics lessons in Poland and another of our schools links with a school in the Caribbean. It has been very successful, and, looking to the future, it would be fantastic to have all schools kitted with video conferencing solutions.”
Polycom believes all schools should have access to better technologies and the enriched educational capabilities of video collaboration and so has announced a ‘Getting Started with Video Education’ bundle. Polycom is offering its Polycom RealPresence Room HDX 7000 and Polycom RealPresence Room HDX 8000 bundles together with the newly announced Polycom UC Board for one year.
These room telepresence systems provide users with high quality audio and high definition video communications from low bandwidths using standards-base H.264 High Profile Technology, which reduces bandwidth needs by 50%. The Polycom UC Board is a whiteboard solution which improves communication and collaboration in video conferences by instantly sharing content written on the whiteboard to all screens and mobile devices that are connected to the video meeting. Both bundles also include 50 x m100 telepresence licences.
Chart 1: The benefits of videoconferencing for education users. [Source: Polycom]
Chart 2: Uses of videoconferencing in education. [Source: Polycom]
Chart 3: Barriers to the adoption of videoconferencing by education. [Source: Polycom]
Education trends 4: classroom audio
Addressing the cost of vocal strain
It has been calculates that the number of teaching days lost due to vocal strain is more than 70,000 per year, with a total cost of £15 million. From an educational perspective, research conducted at South Bank University highlighted the detrimental effects of noise, generated by the environment and generated within the classroom, on school children. These include impaired performance, reduced memory, poor motivation and reduced reading ability.
In a study has conducted to examine the impact, if any, of chronic exposure to external and internal noise on the test results of children aged 7 and 11, external noise was found to have a significant negative impact on performance, the effect being greater for the older children. The analysis suggested that children are particularly affected by the noise of individual external events. Test scores were also affected by internal classroom noise, background levels being significantly related to test results.
Solutions which address the benefits of both voice strain among teachers and improved delivery of teaching are now available. Steljes has recently signed a distribution agreement with Phonak for a new classroom amplification system called Dynamic SoundField. This comprises of a wireless speaker microphone (inspiro) and DigiMaster loudspeaker. The inspiro microphone measures the noise level in the room and automatically adjusts its audio parameters to ensure the teacher’s words are amplified without increasing the overall noise level, allowing students to clearly hear and understand commands without the system creating feedback or echo.
Martine Dodwell-Bennett, sales and marketing director at Steljes, adds “The Dynamic SoundField system fills a gap in the market. It is the only sound system that automatically amplifies a teacher’s voice without increasing the overall noise level. With schools constantly looking at areas where they can reduce their outgoings, the system can help schools reduce the amount of teaching days lost due to vocal strain whilst at the same time enhancing the learning experience for pupils. The Dynamic SoundField system represents an excellent opportunity for our resellers.”
Crestron has also recognised the opportunity in classroom audio. Its FreeSpeech wireless microphone system enables speakers and lecturers to move about the classroom and be heard clearly from anywhere in the room. Crestron says that FreeSpeech provides a simple, affordable and easy-to-install solution for adding amplified speech audio reinforcement as part of a complete media presentation system.
With FreeSpeech, the teaching and learning experience is more fun, engaging and more effective than ever before. Compact and lightweight, the FreeSpeech hands-free microphone can be clipped to a lapel, hung around the neck, or placed in a tabletop stand for reliable, hassle-free operation.
Phonak’s Dynamic SoundField classroom audio solution.
