Classroom with multiple screens / projectors

[psc-parz]

If this is not the right board to post this on, please redirect me.

 

Do you have any classrooms where the teacher has two projectors / large format screens? This is more common in university lecture theatres, but I am interested to see it in the classroom.

 

I am a teacher.

 

We have a new build and I am looking at IT classroom layout and options. I have no problems with interactive boards etc, my issue is pure and simply the size. To teach programming, the development environments are busy and complex and so pure and simple, the bigger the image which the students see, the better. Even on a 70" screen, the text is small at the back of the classroom (circa 5m away).

 

An idea to look at, therefore is a bigger screen, or to use 2. Run them dual head from the teacher PC. The teacher works on a dual head machine and the students see exactly the same on two large format screens on the wall bolted next to each other. I completely recognise that this pushes up the cost etc etc, but let's ignore that fact for a moment and focus on the impact for learning - that is the key bit I want to get right, then the cost becomes the next discussion.

 

Does anyone know any schools who do this which I can go to have a look at, or talk to?

 

thanks in advance.

[Protec]

One way I have seen it done where a Casio Laser projector was used the display one image from the teacher's computer onto a plain white wall. The image was huge!

 

I have also seen it done where there are 2 projectors as you describe, usually running from a VGA splitter and duplicating the teacher's computer display.

 

It really depends on the room size and layout that would determine which method would be better. The 2 projector option is usually better for wider rooms however, if the ceiling is tall enough and the layout, etc allows for it, using one projector for a large image would probably be more useful in that scenario.

[dhicks]

Does anyone know any schools who do this

 

It's not something I've seen myself, although what you describes makes sense. I'm guessing only one of the screens, at most, would need to be interactive, and large screens aren't that expensive these days - £800 or so for a 75" 4k TV. Someone has to mount it and cable it in, of course. The cabling from the PC is going to be a bit more complicated than average - most PCs / laptops will handle one external screen and give you the choice of using it as an extended desktop or mirroring your current desktop. You're going to need something (times two) that can clone a PC display - probably not expensive (£30?), just more stuff to plug in and try and keep tidy.

[DrBeaker]

We only did it in a few rooms due to some TVs being purchased that weren't any good or interactive.

 

Bit of a bodge and staff feedback isn't positive. They don't like the dual screens. However that was the best workaround without replacing them. But I didn't buy the TVs, someone else did and they're not what was needed.

[TwistedHelixis]

One of the primary schools I work in has a long thin classroom, they have a hdmi going from their laptop to a Smart TV, then a hdmi from the Smart TV to a projector, it works really well. Obviously would be better to have 2 TVs, but they don't have the money.

[BenQ_Royce]

quite a few solutions we've worked on in the past......... projecting the dual screen would give larger second image for the cost, some panels have HDMI out so could would also mirror the interactivity/annotation. another option for very detailed work is if the board's software can broadcast its image to devices (if the students are using tablets/laptops)

 

BenQ have a team of field engineers and EdTech consultants who have worked as teachers in this environment, so I can get someone to message you for some help that isn't going to be a hard sell.

 

/Royce

[SamanthaD]

Having 2 screens right next to each other displaying the same content achieves nothing, except a small gain in the overall viewing angle of the screens. If you go this route please at least separate them a bit to increase your viewing area!

 

You're correct in saying for programming the screens have to be a lot larger. Using the old 4:6:8 rules (which still work IMO) the furthest viewer should be no further than 4 times the image height from the display screen for detailed viewing (6 for Powerpoints, 8 for casual viewing ie video). The best way to achieve what you want to do is a second display further into the room, so the students towards the rear of the class can see.

 

Here's an extreme example of what I've done in the past for a similar requirement, for a larger room with around 90 students. (2 x 86" touchscreens on the teaching wall, 8 x 55" screens mounted in pairs running down a central "spine" of the room). The screen placement was dictated to us in that the circular tables had already been purchased, and ceiling heights meant they had to be over the table so they weren't knocked. Also the walls had air conditioning already installed, so were unavailable for use. Pricey, but might give you an idea of what can be done.

 

 

Either way, I would recommend only connecting 1 video output to the PC, then use distribution amps to split the signal as you need. Means you won't get someone being clever and changing the outputs to Extended mode, then someone else using the room getting confused!

[Jamman960]

In our IT suite we have 4 50" TV's around the room with Apple TV's attached, we then use Air Parrot to distribute to them all at the same time or sometimes use a couple of PC's to send out different things or mirror to one of them from an iPad, this has worked pretty well for a couple of years now.