Educational Technologies

We believe that technology is no substitute for good teaching skills in a relaxed environment, but our experience is that when used appropriately, it can make the learning experience more effective and enjoyable. In the Thames Suite the following can be hired for use:
  • Interactive whiteboards
  • Twin or triple projection systems
  • Voting systems
  • Interactive slates

Interactive whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards (sometimes called digital whiteboards or by the proprietary name Smart Boards) can be used in three ways:
  • Capturing any notes made on the board and saving them for recall or printing
  • Controlling and annotating software applications projected on to it
  • As a standard whiteboard with dry-wipe markers
  • If necessary resources can be prepared on another computer away from the interactive whiteboard for use during a lesson.

Voting System

If you have watched the TV program ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ you will have seen a voting system in use. A question is posed and a number of possible answers displayed; members of the audience use handsets to supply their choice of answer, which is collated with others and the results displayed.

The system we use is wireless based and consists of 32 handsets and a base station. The system is transportable and can be used with Windows or Mac computers (drivers are supplied on a CD). The results are made accessible on the controlling PC, which can then be projected on to a screen if a data projector is available.

Interactive Slates

In a small to medium-sized learning environment, digital whiteboards allow students to engage and interact with the teacher, each other and learning resources projected on to the board. In a larger environment this is not as practical. An interactive slate can help to overcome this. It is a wireless device that enables a student to use a digital pen or a mouse to interact with a computer display from up to 20 m away. Clearly the display needs to be projected on to a screen large enough that it can be seen