SMA Santa Maria Surabaya is a private Catholic school group that offers K-12 education in Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Pacet, Indonesia. Under the guidance of the Paratha Bhakti Foundation, it operates three campuses: SMA Santa Maria Surabaya, SMP Santa Maria Sidoarjo, and SMP Santo Yusuf Pacet.

Founded in 1924 by the Order of Saint Ursula, Santa Maria Surabaya's historic campuses boast buildings dating back over half a century, including a designated heritage site. To modernize their campuses and provide cutting-edge learning experiences, the school group sought fresh solutions for building smart classrooms.

“We are aware that technology plays an important role in the success of the learning process in order to foster critical, creative, and innovative students,” says F.X. Marjanto, vice principal at Santa Maria Surabaya.

To improve their classroom technology, SMA Santa Maria tasked their IT department head with reviewing the condition of their in-class display solutions. What he concluded was that the projectors, smart whiteboards, and conventional whiteboards in place needed an upgrade to more versatile solutions like interactive whiteboard.

This evaluation occurred amidst the backdrop of the pandemic, so the IT team and school administrators had to consider how a touchscreen solution would fit into their plan.

“Because of the pandemic, we were worried about having contact with various surfaces to prevent the spread of the virus,” says Arinda Erlina, a junior high school Indonesian-language literature teacher at Santo Yusup Pacet. “New displays such as interactive displays in class also raised the question of student eye health.”

The challenge then was clear: to provide a technology solution that would empower students on their educational journey and also protect their health.

Having viewed interactive projector demos from a different manufacturer, the staff at SMA Santa Maria still wanted to see other options. They sought advice from their parent foundation, which pointed them towards BenQ. After seeing BenQ interactive whiteboards in action, the school chose to adopt the BenQ Board Pro for their K-12 smart classrooms. They recognized these boards as the ideal means to foster student creativity and elevate classroom safety.

Furthermore, the school sees BenQ Boards as a future-proof and reliable solution, supported by a long-term warranty and comprehensive training from BenQ staff. This includes hands-on sessions, both in-person and online, as well as a local BenQ representative in Surabaya who can respond promptly to any issues that might arise and resolve them.

“We feel more secure with BenQ’s after-sales service, which offers a 3-year, on-site warranty,” says Yeremia Alda, a junior high school teacher at SMA Santa Maria Surabaya. 

With elevated COVID cases during their decision-making process, and eye health a top priority, SMA Santa Maria was also drawn to the health-focused features of the BenQ Boards.

“In addition to the comprehensive features, we really feel safe with the ClassroomCare® technology on the BenQ Board,” says Arinda Erlina, an Indonesian literature teacher at SMP Santo Yusup Pacet. “Even though many students use the BenQ Board, we still feel safe with the germ-resistant screen feature.”

What’s more, the board’s eye care technology protects the eyesight of students and teachers throughout the day, says Erlina. She also makes use of the built-in air quality sensor to monitor the classroom’s carbon dioxide levels.

Apart from the classroom solutions, SMA Santa Maria also chose the 65-inch BenQ interactive whiteboard for their teachers’ meeting room.

After implementing these interactive whiteboards in K-12 classes to replace traditional whiteboards, teachers say that interactivity has improved in the classroom, leading to better student engagement.

“With the BenQ intercative whiteboard, we can create an interactive learning environment through the EZWrite whiteboard, making discussion in each subject more engaging, and encouraging students to actively participate in class,” says Valentine Lucky Anggraini, a high school teacher at the Surabaya campus.

In terms of sharing content, teachers could previously only project their laptop screen by connecting to the classroom projector via HDMI. This limited them to sharing laptop content only. They also couldn’t make digital whiteboard annotations over various content sources or move about the room while sharing content. Now, with the BenQ Board in place, teachers and students can wirelessly cast their mobile device or laptop screens to the board using InstaShare from anywhere in the room. 

Teachers can also cast the board’s content to students’ devices for them to seamlessly collaborate with content at their desks. Furthermore, with EZWrite, teachers and students can make real-time annotations over any content displayed on the BenQ Board.

Students of all ages at SMA Santa Maria now benefit from BenQ Boards in their smart classrooms, enriching their learning experiences. Kindergarten students engage in gamified exercises using apps including Kahoot! and NUITEQ Snowflake. Junior high school students use the board for annotations, virtual tours, and more, while high school students apply it for advanced subjects such as algebra. Teachers also leverage the board to export class notes, which students can easily access by scanning a QR code.

The school’s IT administrators also find value in the BenQ interactive whiteboards advanced management features.

“With the Device Management Solution (DMS) feature, we can monitor, control, and operate BenQ Boards remotely without the need to visit classes one by one,” says Marjanto. They also use the X-Sign Broadcast announcement system to efficiently send messages to classrooms via the boards.

By enhancing interactivity in lessons, prioritizing the well-being of students and teachers, and providing IT administrators with powerful tools, BenQ Boards have seamlessly integrated into daily learning at SMA Santa Maria. There is an upgrade and the goal of building a better and smart classroom is accomplished. 

“The BenQ Board truly enhances the teaching and learning experience,” says Alda.