Existing situation and requirements
In January 2009, following a routine OFSTED inspection, Cromer High School received a “notice to improve.” Shortly thereafter, as the school focused more closely on its approach to learning and teaching, it recognised that embracing newer technologies is crucial element in engaging pupils.
At that time, the school relied on “older” visualiser technology, which was impractical for everyday use because its large and cumbersome size hindered its portability – an element especially essential given that the school had only two machines. Headmaster Glyn Hambling felt it was important to have an updated ICT system that would enable more opportunities for greater visual and kinaesthetic learning between teachers and pupils, and so the school worked with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) to help realise this vision.
Following Ofsted’s return visit in May 2010, the school was acknowledged to have made significant improvement and was judged to be ‘Good’ with ‘Outstanding’ features. Engaging learners through a variety of technologies was one of the crucial elements in this transformation.
Solution
Cromer received support from the SSAT network, and in early 2010, after a review of several vendors’ solutions, the school selected the Epson DC-06 Visualiser to support and enhance visual and kinaesthetic learning within its classrooms. Specifically, Cromer believed Epson’s highly portable and modern-design, lightweight visualisers met the school’s practicality needs, especially given the technology’s ability to run off a single USB power supply, and because its ultra-low power consumption (2.5W) would enable cost-savings in the immediate and longer-term.
By April, Epson supplied 30 visualisers to the High School, three to the junior school, and one to each of the seven remaining cluster schools. Epson also provided support to help Cromer demonstrate the technology’s capabilities to its teachers during ‘Twilight Training’ sessions which it holds after the school day, so that they could gain confidence in it.
Cromer also designed “Learning Walks” that allow pupils and parents to see how the technology is used and shares best practices. Its next phase will be to introduce the visualisers into the learning plans which each teacher develops so that they are completely integrated in to lesson planning.
Benefits
Cromer High School has not only been pleased with the support Epson provided during the selection, installation and implementation process, but has also achieved significant benefits from the new visualisers. Through innovative use of Epson’s visualisers, Cromer’s teachers and students are benefitting from:
Highly portable, modern design. Weighing less than one kilogram a piece, the visualisers offer complete portability, allowing teachers to easily carry them from one classroom to the next. The visualisers connect to a laptop or desktop computer in a matter of seconds, so set-up is as simple as plug-in, unfold the arm, focus on the object and project.
Lively, visual presentations. The average student’s attention span is between six and twenty minutes, so it goes without saying that another significant benefit of using Epson’s DC-06 Visualiser is visually engaging students – even across classrooms and class levels – through presentations that come to life in 2-million pixel resolution and via 4x digital zoom. Because the visualisers’ camera turns through 90-degrees on various axis, even 3-D objects can be captured and transmitted, which is a significant benefit in classrooms where the students are taking part in practical sessions such as biology.
Innovative, flexible. The DC-06 Visualisers help Cromer’s students engage in lessons via kinaesthetic learning – or learning by doing. For example, students can use the video function to record a “news report” which the entire class can watch and react to. Via the camera function, students can take a photo of their work at the beginning of the term and then compare it to a photo taken later to help demonstrate improvements. And because the visualiser is connected directly to a computer, it can project images while the computer provides sound, thereby creating a vivid learning atmosphere.
Yet traditional. The visualisers also can support traditional teaching models, such as modelling to the students how to solve a mathematical equation or construct a sentence in a foreign language. It can also help students gain confidence in presenting in front of others because it creates physical space between where the student stands and presents and where the image is projected.
Overall, the feedback Epson has received over the course of its engagement with Cromer High School has been positive. And in addition to the technology benefits outlined above, the school is pleased with the significant role Epson’s DC-06 Visualiser has played in increasing interest and engagement from its students.
“The Epson visualiser is easy to use so there are no barriers to use by staff or by pupils. The pupils are excited to see their work displayed live during lessons and find the modelling of work and its use for group assessment very powerful in developing greater understanding” Glyn Hambling, Headmaster, Cromer High School.
