As the winner of the 2020 Apple Trend of the Year Award for Leading the Classroom, Explain Everything takes any chance it gets to bring its technological value to teaching. With the new iOS and iPadOS systems’ updates to 15, Explain Everything developers have made it possible to use 3D models on the digital whiteboard, too. Ready for another dimension of learning?
Incorporate 3D models into your lessons
Being able to use 3D models in a digital whiteboard environment is just fun, plain and simple. But it’s also a milestone in how you can create and present learning content. For instance, 3D models can, at least in part, replace real objects, especially since certain objects are not so easy to come by. They can be valuable digital content, not only for online learning, but in the physical classroom, too.
The fox 3D model was created by 3D-IDI on sketchfab.com. Other animals credits: Jungle Animal: Cartoon Elephant by JoseDiaz, Tyrannosaurus Rex by FletchTech, Anaconda by luckyfortune3d, Little Monster by 3D Pencil, Micro Ghoul Gobrot by BitGem. All on sketchfab.com.
Because 3D models are digital representations of physical objects, they will always be more attractive for students of any age than standard ‘flat’ images. But they’re also valuable as research objects. How can they enhance education? 3D models used in teaching and learning bring numerous benefits – they:
- Support interactive visualization-based learning, as you can freely manipulate, scale and animate 3D objects.
- Engage students in more active learning approaches.
- Support physics, biology, chemistry, art, history and mathematics by showing any objects (like geometric figures, buildings, ancient objects or cells) from any angle and with the appropriate proportions.
- Stimulate spatial imagination.
- Make deeper understanding of concepts easier and possible.
- Provide an opportunity for countless analyses, as they don’t occupy any physical space, so you can access objects you normally couldn’t (works of architecture, specimens, organs).
- Make thorough examination of an object possible.
Find out ways you can use 3D models in education and the benefits of doing so (from Harvard University).
And take a look at this example of a physics lesson with the use of 3D model in Explain Everything:
3D models in Explain Everything – starter kit
Using 3D models in Explain Everything is possible only on iPads and iPhones for now. You can bring them to life both on the subscription-based version of Explain Everything Whiteboard and on the one-time-purchase Basics version. Keep in mind, though, that you need to update your Explain Everything app to the latest version first.
Add 3D models to your digital whiteboard
Add 3D models to your Explain Everything projects just like you’d add any other content, like an image or video. Remember to log in to your Sketchfab account. You can do it directly in the “adding 3D models” panel in Explain Everything first. It’s possible to search for objects without signing in. However, you won’t be able to download anything and add it to your project unless you do.
Learn how to manipulate 3D objects in Explain Everything
And now, the fun begins! You can rotate, scale and move the 3D model on your canvas around easily. Just use the Hand Tool, just like you would manipulate any other object. Tap on the 3D model once to activate it, and then rotate it freely.
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