Posted by William Nunnelley on 2009-02-18

Samford University's Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies has signed a five-year contract with 3dh Communications of Suwanee, Ga., to conduct research on the company's technology as a teaching and learning tool.

The education and professional studies school is researching the effectiveness of the company's patented 3d HoloProjection (TM) software technology in teaching situations. The technology provides three-dimensional holographic demonstrations on various kinds of subject matter. As part of its research, Samford has provided 3D demonstrations on the solar system to local school children.

"The technology adds a third dimension to the traditional two-dimension model and provides the students with a more life-like experience," said Ed Landers, director of the education and professional studies school's Media Center at Samford. "There's no limit to the types of teaching models that can be developed through this technology."

Landers, who took the lead in arranging the contract with 3dh Communications, transformed the Media Center classroom into a site for 3d teaching and demonstrations. He noted that other schools use the technology to create content, but Samford is the first to conduct systematic research on its effectiveness as a teaching tool.

3dh Communications develops software products for the medical, entertainment, scientific, archeological and communications industries as well as the education field. Among its clients are Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Fla.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.