HOLLY RIDGE, North Carolina – Dixon High School, part of the Onslow County School District in North Carolina, is realizing the benefits of learning in 3D with the help of XPAND 3D. Dixon High School recently purchased XPAND systems to provide a more engaging learning experience for its students in subjects like Biology, where 3D content offers greater depth and detail.
Dixon High School purchased XPAND 3D Educational products through Skylink with the help of Andy Canady, President of Skylink. XPAND 3D’s Educational Kit includes XPAND DLP®-Link 3D Glasses (which work seamlessly with all 3D-ready DLP projectors) and a library full of educational 3D content for every subject.
Jason Chambers, Biology Teacher at Dixon High School, is quite pleased with the results that he has seen since he started using the 3D material in October 2011. He has employed XPAND’s 3D content, including Designmate 3D technology, in almost all of his instruction, whether it is an introduction before diving into a new subject, teaching the subject itself or even as a refresher after a section is completed.
“It’s been a dream using the software. It not only helps the kids but the teachers are also enjoying it, especially when they see the test results. In General Biology alone there has been a more than 50 percent improvement in test scores. Our Principal is ecstatic,” Mr. Chambers said.
In North Carolina, a student has to score a level 3 (mastery of concepts) or 4 (superior understanding and clearly proficient in concept) on a statewide testing exam to be considered efficient. All classes taught by Mr. Chambers including those with EC students received 100 percent proficiency using the 3D material. In an Honors class taught by Mr. Chambers, he had 12 students score 4 in a class of 21 students. “Those types of scores are unheard of!” Mr. Chambers added. “Normally I’m lucky to get four or five 4’s in a class of 30 students, so the numbers speak for themselves.”
“The content overlaps seamlessly with our core curriculum,” Mr. Chambers said. “All the videos are under 10 minutes long so they don’t take away from my lesson plans either, they just significantly add value.”
Not only does the 3D content engage students on a higher level than Mr. Chambers has ever seen, but he also feels that high level of engagement translates into greater comprehension and retention of the information presented. “Students are grasping the material much quicker than with traditional methods,” Mr Chambers said.
Mr. Chambers noted that the 3D content is ideal for subjects like Biology, where 3D content showing DNA, mitosis or cell division can help explain the concept better than a 2D picture. “Being able to fly through a cell and watch the actual process as it happens is amazing,” he said.
Where students often get restless when a video is being played, Mr. Chambers noticed the opposite effect with the presentation of 3D content. “I can hear a pin drop in the room when we’re watching a 3D video. Kids are attentive and focused and actually entertained by what they are watching. I had never seen that before,” he said.
According to Mr. Chambers, even the quality of XPAND’s active-shutter 3D technology is apparent to the students. “The kids even enjoy it more than the passive 3D they see in the movie theater,” he noted. “They recognize the difference of the active technology that XPAND 3D uses and how it eliminates strain on the eyes and headaches. I explain the differences in the technology to them and show how the light enters the eyes differently. It’s a lesson within itself.”
“3D has been a tremendous asset for me,” Mr. Chambers concluded. “I don’t have to change the way I teach, I’ve had outstanding results with the content and I feel confident that the students are absorbing what I am teaching.”
For more information on XPAND 3D Education, please visit http://www.xpand.me/education or contact Jodi Szuter at Jodi.Szuter@xpandcinema.com
For more information on Dixon High School, please visit: http://dixon.nc.och.schoolinsites.com/
For more information on Skylink, please visit: www.skylinkinfo.com
About XPAND 3D:
The global leader in the 3D technologies for home, business, education, cinema, military and medical applications, XPAND is committed to advancing the state-of-the art in technology to provide consumers, businesses, educators and medical professionals with the comprehensive advantages of stereoscopic 3D. XPAND provides glasses on a linear scale from the most advanced and feature-packed for sophisticated surgical, training and home theater to more ruggedized and affordable for cinema and mass market use. X6D Limited is a global company whose products and services are marketed under the XPAND brand name. XPAND 3D technology is used by over 5,000 3D cinemas in more than 50 countries and is the 3D solution of choice for post-production houses, educational and professional 3D applications. XPAND designs, manufactures and OEMs a range of consumer electronics 3D solutions that are driving the 3D revolution.