Specifications

Learning Spaces Guidelines
AV & Teaching Station: 19
In addition to the resident PC there should be the facility to connect
a portable computer, tablet device or video device to the teaching
station for display onto the presentation surface(s).
Connections offered should include:
VGA
HDMI
3.5mm jack plug audio input for laptop audio
Ethernet RJ45 network connections
Suitable length VGA and HDMI male-to-male leads should be
securely tethered to the teaching station as should the 3.5mm stereo
jack plug audio lead.
The logic for the provision of the RJ45 network connection is for
when connectivity resilience is paramount e.g. video conferencing
with external industrial partner. Ideally the network socket should
be patched to a network switch supporting DHCP or if this is not
possible then information about an assigned IP, subnet and router
addresses should be attached to the console for those technically
proficient to utilise this information.
Visualisers, also known as document cameras, can be used in the
following ways:
to project transparency slides that were previously used
with a Overhead Projector
to project 35mm slides via the slide carrier integrated into
the lens mount of some visualisers
to display documents placed on the working surface
to display objects placed on the working surface
to use the working surface as a horizontal writing surface
However it has to be recognised that writing on a horizontal surface
at approximately waist height is both challenging from an ergonomic
perspective and a very different activity from the traditional skill,
honed over years by many staff, of writing large and legibly on a
vertical writing surface.
Visualisers have the benefit of being relatively intuitive to understand
and not requiring the operator to learn any software prior to use.
One aspect of visualisers that can be constraining when using them
as the primary writing surface is the width of the base board working
area. The dimensions of this working area are a result of the historic
transition from OHPs and the need to be able to display a sheet of
A4 paper in either the landscape or portrait orientation.
To avoid this constraint and to maximise the visualisers usable
width as a writing surface consideration should be given to fitting
units without a baseboard, or recessing the visualiser baseboard
into the worktop, so that the full width of the camera capture area
can be utilised for writing either by the use of an appropriately sized
dry-wipe write-on surface fixed on the worksurface or A3 paper.
TASK
Support
for mobile
devices
3.05
TASK
Visualiser
3.06