History
Technology
Economatics Education has been closely involved with control technology equipment ever since the subject began in the 1970s. In fact, the first Economatics catalogues were essentially equipment lists for Schools Council Project Technology - the first ever control technology text books. Practical investigation was at the heart of these books but, this being a new subject, no suitable equipment was readily available to the authors, who were teachers at Danum School Doncaster. Pneumatics was an essential part of the course and so for help, they approached Economatics who were then solely an industrial supplier of pneumatics in neighbouring Sheffield. As a result, Economatics Education was born as the original specialist supplier of educational equipment for control technology.
In 1985 computer control made its first appearance in the form of the BBC Buggy, which was designed by Economatics in conjunction with the BBC Computer Literacy Project and the Microelectronics Education Programme to, as the catalogue of the time says, "bring computer control technology within the reach of everyone". This phrase has been central to Economatics’ product development ever since.
By 1992, Smart Box and Logicator had appeared. Smart Box – the first control interface box to connect to a computer’s serial port – opened up computer control for use on the growing variety of PCs and Macs that were then appearing in schools. Logicator – the award-winning and much-copied control software – introduced the concept of building control programs as dynamic flowcharts, and so liberated pupils from the grind of language based programming. Together, Smart Box and Logicator have now become the market-leading standard for computer control in schools.
The nineties saw Economatics continuing to respond to teachers’ requirements as they faced rapidly-changing curriculum demands. Control technology became "Systems and Control". Fischertechnik kits which had been produced in the eighties to support an open-ended problem-solving approach to mechanisms and structures were honed down for focused practical tasks. Pneumatics and other kits were custom-made for Scotland and Northern Ireland as they developed their own control technology curriculum.
By 2000, Economatics had recognised the potential of PIC programmable chips to revolutionise the use of control systems in D&T projects. We built on the success of Logicator to develop PIC-Logicator as the user-friendly means of programming these chips. This development has fostered links with the DATA ECT (EiS) project, thus continuing what has been Economatics’ policy from the outset - working closely with projects that develop and support technology education; from TICST and BST through to WISE, Nuffield, and Young Engineers. We have also been proud to support and sponsor a whole host of school-industry link projects, including work with MTTA, CITB, and SETNET.
Recent innovations have focused on the use of ICT in design and technology, and include: Soft Systems simulations for Logicator; Universal Logicator, which can be used with any control box, Airways pneumatics software; and a new version of PIC-Logicator.
Primary
Our first primary range was launched in 1992 to support the growth of design and technology in primary schools with tools, materials, and construction kits. Four years later, our acquisition of the Osmiroid range of primary maths and science equipment began the development of our broadly-based primary range which now has extensive ranges of hands-on resources for numeracy and literacy, as well as for science, history, geography, D&T, ICT, Fitness. Up and coming ranges for 2007 include MFL and PSHE.
Our own computer control resources for primary schools made their first appearance in the mid-nineties, in the form of the Discovery interface box, software and control models. In 2001, this was superseded by the new Control Station box with its accompanying software based on Logicator. In 2007 Logicator Junior was launched, with a slightly reduced command list and four Soft Systems.
Secondary Science
Economatics' entry into the secondary science sector in 1999 was the direct result of acquiring the educational business of Irwin Desman Ltd, who were famous for the laboratory power supplies which they had been supplying for over 25 years with the highest reputation for quality, reliability, value and safety. These are now manufactured by Economatics to the same high standards. On this foundation, we have built up an extensive secondary science range, with products specially selected to meet the curriculum, but which also have the best balance of price and quality to help budgets stretch further.
We are the UK distributor of Ken-A-Vision flexible neck cameras; and in 2003 we became the UK distributor of the internationally-renowned Fourier datalogging systems.
Maths
In 2000, we launched our first primary numeracy range to support the Primary Numeracy Strategy with its requirement for more hands-on teaching resources. In the following year, we produced an equivalent range of equipment for the KS3 Numeracy Strategy. As a part of this range, and again in response to feedback from teachers, we developed Bounce Back 7 software to support the catch-up area of the Strategy.
All our product ranges are constantly under review and development, as we continue to respond to the changing needs of the classroom teacher.
Economatics Education has been closely involved with control technology equipment ever since the subject began in the 1970s. In fact, the first Economatics catalogues were essentially equipment lists for Schools Council Project Technology - the first ever control technology text books. Practical investigation was at the heart of these books but, this being a new subject, no suitable equipment was readily available to the authors, who were teachers at Danum School Doncaster. Pneumatics was an essential part of the course and so for help, they approached Economatics who were then solely an industrial supplier of pneumatics in neighbouring Sheffield. As a result, Economatics Education was born as the original specialist supplier of educational equipment for control technology.
In 1985 computer control made its first appearance in the form of the BBC Buggy, which was designed by Economatics in conjunction with the BBC Computer Literacy Project and the Microelectronics Education Programme to, as the catalogue of the time says, "bring computer control technology within the reach of everyone". This phrase has been central to Economatics’ product development ever since.
By 1992, Smart Box and Logicator had appeared. Smart Box – the first control interface box to connect to a computer’s serial port – opened up computer control for use on the growing variety of PCs and Macs that were then appearing in schools. Logicator – the award-winning and much-copied control software – introduced the concept of building control programs as dynamic flowcharts, and so liberated pupils from the grind of language based programming. Together, Smart Box and Logicator have now become the market-leading standard for computer control in schools.
The nineties saw Economatics continuing to respond to teachers’ requirements as they faced rapidly-changing curriculum demands. Control technology became "Systems and Control". Fischertechnik kits which had been produced in the eighties to support an open-ended problem-solving approach to mechanisms and structures were honed down for focused practical tasks. Pneumatics and other kits were custom-made for Scotland and Northern Ireland as they developed their own control technology curriculum.
By 2000, Economatics had recognised the potential of PIC programmable chips to revolutionise the use of control systems in D&T projects. We built on the success of Logicator to develop PIC-Logicator as the user-friendly means of programming these chips. This development has fostered links with the DATA ECT (EiS) project, thus continuing what has been Economatics’ policy from the outset - working closely with projects that develop and support technology education; from TICST and BST through to WISE, Nuffield, and Young Engineers. We have also been proud to support and sponsor a whole host of school-industry link projects, including work with MTTA, CITB, and SETNET.
Recent innovations have focused on the use of ICT in design and technology, and include: Soft Systems simulations for Logicator; Universal Logicator, which can be used with any control box, Airways pneumatics software; and a new version of PIC-Logicator.
Primary
Our first primary range was launched in 1992 to support the growth of design and technology in primary schools with tools, materials, and construction kits. Four years later, our acquisition of the Osmiroid range of primary maths and science equipment began the development of our broadly-based primary range which now has extensive ranges of hands-on resources for numeracy and literacy, as well as for science, history, geography, D&T, ICT, Fitness. Up and coming ranges for 2007 include MFL and PSHE.
Our own computer control resources for primary schools made their first appearance in the mid-nineties, in the form of the Discovery interface box, software and control models. In 2001, this was superseded by the new Control Station box with its accompanying software based on Logicator. In 2007 Logicator Junior was launched, with a slightly reduced command list and four Soft Systems.
Secondary Science
Economatics' entry into the secondary science sector in 1999 was the direct result of acquiring the educational business of Irwin Desman Ltd, who were famous for the laboratory power supplies which they had been supplying for over 25 years with the highest reputation for quality, reliability, value and safety. These are now manufactured by Economatics to the same high standards. On this foundation, we have built up an extensive secondary science range, with products specially selected to meet the curriculum, but which also have the best balance of price and quality to help budgets stretch further.
We are the UK distributor of Ken-A-Vision flexible neck cameras; and in 2003 we became the UK distributor of the internationally-renowned Fourier datalogging systems.
Maths
In 2000, we launched our first primary numeracy range to support the Primary Numeracy Strategy with its requirement for more hands-on teaching resources. In the following year, we produced an equivalent range of equipment for the KS3 Numeracy Strategy. As a part of this range, and again in response to feedback from teachers, we developed Bounce Back 7 software to support the catch-up area of the Strategy.
All our product ranges are constantly under review and development, as we continue to respond to the changing needs of the classroom teacher.
A future within the TAG Learning Group
As of March 2008, Economatics-Education joined forces with TAG Learning, specialist providers of ICT software
and tools. A welcome collaboration all round, for your school this translates into:
and tools. A welcome collaboration all round, for your school this translates into:
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Additional expertise in combining ICT into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – the specialist areas for Economatics-Education
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Access to a whole new range of technology tools appropriate for STEM subjects
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More prices cut and special offers through improved buying power With access to a wider range of technology products and expertise, we are uniquely in a position to provide your school with a STEM one-stop-shop solution