Developing Smarter Classrooms in Taipei with Interactive Flat Panel Technology

Education is one of the fundamental pillars of society in Taiwan. Students study long hours, both inside and outside of the classroom, in order to score well on the national university entrance exam that will determine their future. While pedagogical methods in Taiwan have traditionally focused on textbooks and rote learning, recently there has been a push for greater dynamism and interactivity.

A key driver in this shift has been technology. As the Ministry of Education continues to publish new curricula that focus on expanding the use of technology in the classroom, schools have increasingly been exploring the use of smart classrooms in education. But building these high-tech classrooms isn’t cheap. Schools have to be careful and ensure that they’re acquiring technology and designing classrooms that will offer tangible boosts in student outcomes.

Turning a traditional classroom into a smart classroom can be a real undertaking, but one that’s well worth the effort. First, workers have to remove the old blackboard in order to make space for a new BenQ Education Interactive Flat Panel Display. The workers also have to put putty and concrete on the brick wall to properly prepare it for the new display. Also, because few schools in Taiwan have elevators big enough to handle an 86” display, workers have to carry the display to higher floors using the stairs. Considering that some schools have 7 floors or more, this is no small feat! Never mind that fact that, in some schools, over 100 classrooms were being converted into smart classrooms.

But in the end the effort is worth it, thanks to the revolutionary capabilities that BenQ Education Interactive Flat Panel Displays can provide teachers. First and foremost is EZWrite, BenQ’s exclusive annotation software. By empowering teachers to make notes during class, and save and share them with students during or after class, EZWrite streamlines knowledge transmission. Furthermore, by letting teachers take notes on all kinds of content, including photos, videos, webpages, and even Adobe and Microsoft documents, all without need for a PC, EZWrite can serve as an all-in-one teaching partner for educators.

In addition to EZWrite, BenQ Education Interactive Flat Panel Displays also offer classroom-friendly features like 20-point multi-touch for enhanced interactivity and germ-resistant coated screens that can protect student health. InstaShare wireless presentation software makes it easy for teachers to share lesson material, including Full HD videos, from a PC or smart device, while BenQ’s exclusive AMS account management software lets teachers save their content and settings to the cloud and load them onto any AMS-compatible display with the swipe of an NFC card.

Result

After the intensive classroom construction was finished, teachers quickly integrated the interactive touchscreens into their teaching routines. According to one principal, the BenQ Education Interactive Flat Panel Displays’ wireless capabilities have let teachers embrace the flipped classroom model of teaching. Students have more passion about the material they learn in class and no longer doze off as they once did; their eyes are wide open and they’re eager to be called on for a chance to interact with the touchscreen. Furthermore, teachers appreciate the wireless technology that lets them manage content on the displays as they move freely around the classroom. Although students, teachers, and principals don’t always see eye to eye about education, they can all agree that BenQ’s interactive technology has brought more joy and learning opportunities to their classrooms than ever before.