Saying Goodbye to Blackboards- visual projectors enhance student learning
Educators and parents alike have been finding new instructional approaches on how to make learning more feasible and entertaining at the same time. With the aid of technology, this idea has become a reality. The typical visual aids have morphed into visual projectors enhancing student learning. World maps, science demonstrations, math presentations, etc. have never been more convincing and entertaining with the use of visual projectors. Visual projectors enhance student learning as supported by studies showing that learning was hastened by as much as 30%.
An example is an experiment developed in Portsmouth Middle School, in Portland, Oregon. Teachers from this school encourage students to develop their own understanding of mathematical concepts rather than to work through textbook drills. To give a face-lift to their old program, teachers chose to adopt a visual mathematics curriculum. The National Council of Teachers in Mathematics in 1989 developed “focus on curriculum standards”. This served as the foundation for innovations in math instruction in Portsmouth.
Visual projectors enhance student learning, cooperation and strategy skills. Teachers at Portsmouth realized that the usual teacher-centered technique resulted in students “parroting back” the same math procedures instead of encouraging them to produce their own concepts. Instead, the students were made to form in cooperative groups as teachers gave out math manipulative materials. Visual projectors enhance student learning because the latter indeed were able to come up with their own concepts of algorithms and mathematical procedures.
The result of this experiment was astounding with a significant number of students getting admitted to the Algebra class from Spring of 1991 to 1993. Visual projectors enhance student learning because within the period, from 46% of students getting admitted to Algebra, it rose to 63% in Spring of 1993.
Each spring, a math test is given to admit eighth grade students into general math, pre-algebra and algebra classes in high school. Data, from the math test, were compiled and used in the study. There was a remarkable increase in the percentage of students who scored highly enough for the placement in the more challenging courses.
Today, an increasing number of schools have opted to purchase overhead projectors. According to Angela Neria, district director of Joplin, Missouri, the use of projectors helps students a lot because there are softwares that work along with the projectors. For example, students demonstrating concepts and ideas such as three-dimensional shapes have been made possible with the use of the projectors.
Visual projectors enhance student learning and motivate them to develop their own concepts and procedures.