Wall Street Journal writer Michelle Kung recently contacted Pacific Media Associates for some background information on the 3D Projector Market for an article she was writing about 3D in the classroom – which ran in the WSJ on September 7^th. It was a great article, so we thought we’d share some highlights with our readers.

Recent research by Pacific Media Associates estimates that 185,000 3D enabled projectors will be sold for use in K-12 classrooms in 2011. This figure is more than double the number of 3D enabled units sold last year.

Schools are trying to find ways to engage students who live in an age of 3D movies and gadgets which make traditional classroom materials look dated. 3D projection gives educators the ability to do everything from showing students how to calculate the volume of a cylinder, give a life-like view of anatomy and dissect frogs virtually.

Proponents of 3D in education believe that 3D helps students to better grasp difficult visual concepts, and leads to higher retention rates and test scores. Multiple 3D pilot programs and studies conducted in classrooms around the country support this. On the flip side, financial concerns are a big obstacle for many school districts. While the cost of a 3D projector has dropped considerably in the last few years, the content and glasses are still relatively expensive. And, content is still hard to come by. Few, if any of the leading traditional academic publishers have created their own stereoscopic course material.

3D equipment manufacturers are trying to find ways to make this technology available to the education masses. One thing is for sure. This will be an interesting market segment to watch and Pacific Media will continue to follow it closely as it evolves.

Read Full WSJ Article