Whither eS3D?

Predictions for Educational 3D in 2013

Most prognosticators deal with predictions earlier in the year, say, in January. Unfortunately, my editorial schedule did not permit such a luxury. Under the “better late than never” rule, please allow me to humbly offer my informed predictions for the educational use of 3D in 2013:

• The recession will continue to have a hampering impact upon the growth of 3D in K-12 education. (The way funding for education works is that schools lag the economy by a full year, so don’t expect much improvement until the year following any improvements in the economy.)
• International use of 3D in K-12 education will continue to outpace the spread of 3D in U.S. schools.
• The new SIG 3D formed by ISTE will double its membership and establish a growing foothold in educational technology.
• Some surprise “big players” will jump on the 3D bandwagon in education.
• Post-secondary education will see stronger 3D sales than K-12 schools as they continue to deploy 3D demonstration classrooms in some universities and community colleges.  (Post-secondary education, with the ability to charge tuition and fees, seems to experience nowhere near the same level of financial meltdown seen in the K-12 sector.)
• Half of the universities or post-secondary institutions deploying 3D demonstration sites will create their own content, employing students in that effort; the remaining schools will buy or commission any needed content.
• Medical education (medical schools, teaching hospitals, hospital education services) will see increased growth in 3D usage.
• New and pioneering educational content providers will continue to appear on the scene, strengthening the quality and quantity of stereo content for education.
• New innovations will emerge on the scene in 2013, strengthening the case for 3D (such as web delivery and viewing options beyond the active/passive debate).
• Brain research (neuroscience) will weigh in, helping to build the use case for 3D in education.
• 3D math content will increase significantly and science collections will continue to expand in topical coverage. There will not be enough 3D content to support most other subject areas, however.
• User-generated content will continue to expand and represent a reasonable niche market.
• 3D will become easier to use as some hardware barriers melt away.
• Software copy protection schemes on software will continue to frustrate end users and make 3D difficult to implement. (Grow up developers—you’re not the CIA!)
• The vision health issue will struggle to receive the attention it deserves. Still, slow and steady progress will be made
• The persistent struggle we face in inoculating against 3D mythologies (3D is bad for you, it makes everyone sick, it hurts children) won’t go away. We’ll still have to wrestle with those unfortunate media-generated sound bites for some time to come. But we will win the arguments. Science and medicine support us.

What is your prediction? Please comment below. Resist the urge to stay silent. Blow the lid off this blog. Please.

Panning for Gold (Part 1)

Gold panning takes patience. A gold panner looks for placer deposits, fills the bottom of his/her favorite pan with anticipation, and then meticulously manipulates the pan to filter gold from the heavies and black silt that layer the dark bottom ridges of the gold pan. It’s not easy work, but it can be rewarding, given the staggering price of today's gold.

Gold panned recently in Colorado

by my son-in-law

Gold panning for great technology is no different. During difficult financial times, it’s not easy to find real nuggets, those bold counterstrokes of innovation and potential that can produce glimmers of hope in a tough market. In the next three consecutive posts, I'll highlight a few of the new 3D-related products that bounced across my preternatural radar this summer.  
Here's the first revelation, and it's quite interesting: Optoma offered a wonderful idea this summer. They showed how to use an ultra-short throw DLP 3D projector, along with interactivity, to create a unique interactive tabletop display surface. For a live demonstration, see this video. 

It’s basically an interactive whiteboard, with 2D or 3D, on any tabletop surface. This makes a lot of sense for schools, learning centers, museums, and other spaces that like to conduct smaller, more personalized tabletop simulations or exercises. It even makes sense for school and emergency preparedness training for small group training. I expect this approach to really resonate with educators. Think about how you might apply this idea in your own setting.

3D Vision Basics

The 'old' way

The 'new' way

If you are a bit unfamiliar with the role of 3D in supporting vision health and improved learning for children, you may want to watch this short video of James Sheedy, O.D., Ph.D., explaining how 3D viewing helps diagnose vision problems. It was filmed in Chicago during the American Optometric Association’s annual membership conference. It also addresses the importance of our natural 3D vision in successful student learning.

Also, watch the rough video below to see an example of how TrueVision uses 3D in eye surgery education to show clarity and depth:

3D Myth Busting

A recent magazine article features an old western ‘shootout’ between 3D and 2D projector technology. The article, published on August 1, 2011 in Tech&Learning magazine, highlights two districts and why they chose either 3D technology or 2D technology in their projectors. I was one of the individuals being interviewed. The premise of this article is a good one, but I’d like to correct some persistent inaccuracies, lest they lend themselves to the unfortunate role of myth-building:

"There is a lot more content" for a 2D projector.

"The direct cost of a 2D projector is less than" a 3D unit.
"3D [projectors] need to be kept sterile"

2D— “It’s what you expect in a classroom.”

So in the interest of myth-busting, here’s the truth, unembellished and straight up:

• All DLP 3D-ready projectors are first and foremost, 2D projectors at the same time. In fact, a 3D projector is used as a 2D projector most of the day—and when you want to see 3D, your software simply tells the projector you are in 3D mode.  
• Since all DLP 3D-ready projectors are also 2D projectors, they have access to all available content, whether 3D or 2D. The reverse is true for 2D-only projectors—they cannot project 3D content!
• Our 3D projector cost $520 with 3D. If we had purchased it without 3D built in, it was $520. Do the math.
• 3D projectors do not need to be kept sterile. Neither do glasses. The word "sterile" is a bit overstated. The recommendations found in the coming See Well, Learn Well report suggest the following common-sense guidelines: "Disinfect the 3D glasses thoroughly after viewings. This is most easily accomplished by using anti-bacterial sprays or wiping down each unit with a single disposable alcohol pad after use." And by the way, kids like the glasses.
• “2D is what you expect in a classroom.” Over my career, I have been involved in the design and building of nine new schools and over twenty-six major remodeling projects. Over the span of those years, I often heard this kind of statement. It usually referred to such technologies as chalkboards, overhead projectors, analog clocks, VCR players, and CRT monitors. We build for the future, not the past.