When designing its new science building, functionality combined with total cost of ownership led Henley High School to the Epson EB-2250U projector, with 26 units now installed across the school.
Based in the beachside suburb of Henley Beach in South Australia, Henley High School educates 1400 students from Year 8-12. The school places a strong emphasis on incorporating the latest in information and communication technology (ICT) tools into its teaching and learning spaces to enhance student engagement.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is among Henley’s key areas of focus. With student numbers continuing to grow, the school identified the need for a new STEM building. Following government funding, the new space was constructed. Incorporating three flexible new science labs, it was opened at the beginning of the 2019 school year and is now being used by students across all year levels.
The new science labs each feature an Epson EB-2250U projector. “These Epson projectors were chosen because they are quite bright and can be seen in direct light. They are also good value for money. Both the projectors and replacement globes are reasonably priced. The new STEM building has a strong technology focus. Each of the three science labs features an Epson EB-2250U projector, used together with control systems and automated screens. The labs are also equipped with high definition video cameras, so teachers can record any practical demonstrations they are working on and then display them to the whole class via the projectors,” explains Andrew Dodd, ICT Manager at Henley.
All Epson projectors are based on 3-chip LCD technology for exceptional colour, detail and reliability. This architecture continuously dedicates an entire chip to process each primary colour – red, green and blue. Unlike single-chip technology that delivers colour sequentially, this results in vibrant, realistic images and video delivered in true-to-life colour.
The Epson EB-2250U projector delivers high quality images and crisp, sharp text without any distortion, at up to 300 inches wide. Though it is designed to be lightweight and compact, it delivers high brightness of up 5500 lumens and a superior contrast ratio of 15,000:1. This means there is no need to dim classroom lighting as the projected images are always bright, sharp and clear.
“Staff have been really positive about the new STEM space. There are another five science labs in the school that feature the same Epson projectors. We have a total of 26 of these and the reason we use this model is because it pretty much hits the sweet spot of brightness and function versus cost. We made the decision to stick with projectors rather than using interactive panels because they allow a big surface area for teachers to display content on and engage with their students,” explains Mr Dodd.
These new projectors replaced older equipment, to deliver greater reliability, functionality and image quality. During the replacement program, which took place throughout 2018, the decision was made to standardise projectors across the board so staff only need to familiarise themselves with a single model, rather than having to get used to various different technologies.
Designed to be compact, yet highly flexible, Mr Dodd says the new spaces are a modern interpretation of the school science lab. “There was a definite need for this new building. School enrolments continue to increase and the number of science labs we had was inadequate. Staff had input into the brief for the new building and said they wanted spaces that were highly flexible and allowed them to incorporate video, broadcasting and demonstrations in an effective manner. The end result is three spaces that can be opened up to create a larger space when needed.”
While the EB-2250U has proven to be an ideal fit for the school’s classrooms, two larger projectors – the Epson EB-G7905U – have been installed into the school’s hall and drama space.
Delivering 7000 lumens, the EB-G7905U is ideal for larger rooms. Using Epson’s 3-chip LCD technology, this model also features 4K enhancement, offering exceptional sharpness, clarity and detail.
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