the Presentation technologies
There is a variety of presentation equipment at your fingertips, depending upon which Common learning Space you are using (you can see what's in the rooms here). How to set up and use the equipment is shown in the Lectern Bench User Guides (where the room contains a lectern bench) on or adjacent to the bench or Smartboard guides (where the room contains a Smartboard).
PC
This is a standard University Managed Desktop computer, which requires your University login. Once logged in, you will be able to access your email, your filestore, any shared drives that you may have, the internet and software such as Microsoft Office. You will be able to insert your CDs, DVDs and USB Flash stick into the PC.
Laptop
You can use your laptop to present with, by hooking it up to the labelled laptop monitor cable and audio cable (if required). There will be a Function key command on your laptop to set it to project, and you will need to know this in advance. Appendix A at the back of the Lectern Bench User Guides folder on or near the lectern bench (or online as a pdf) gives the commands for the most common laptop makes
DVD playback
Many rooms have a DVD player (often in combination with a VHS player) that is either under the lectern bench, or in a nearby Rack. Controls are then found on the bench's touch screen. You can also play your DVD through the PC (where provided) or your laptop using Windows Media Player or another suitable media player.
VHS
Many rooms have VHS videotape player, often as a combination unit with a DVD player. These are usually found either beneath the lectern bench or in an adjacent rack. Like the DVD player, playback controls are from the touch screen on the bench.
Network Point
Most of the Common Learning Spaces provide labelled network points on or near the presentation area, so that your laptop can be hooked directly into the university network and take advantage of network systems and internet.
Please note that your laptop must be capable of interacting with the university network in advance (via DHCP, further information for which can be found on the DHCP pages ) and the Rj45 ethernet lead needed for the connection is in most cases not provided.
Overhead Projector
These ubiquitous projectors are situated almost everywhere, and allow you to project your A4 transparencies or write using special OHP pens directly onto a transparency roll if it is already fitted on the projector. There are no user guides for OHPs.
Visualizer
A visualizer is also known as a video OHP. By placing objects on a base between to lamps, a video camera then projects the object from above onto the main screen.
Smartboard
A Smartboard is an interactive board that projects the attached PC's monitor onto a screen, and then lets you use your finger directly on the screen as a mouse. You can also draw and write directly onto your PC's monitor using the special 'pens' provided. There is an increasing number of smaller rooms that now have this facility. Note that you can plug a laptop into the Smartboard but it will then be a projector without the Smart functionality.
Sympodium
On some lectern benches, the PC's monitor has been replaced with a Sympodium screen. This type of monitor allows you to use the attached pen as a mouse directly onto the Sympodium, and like the Smartboard you can draw/write notes over the screen.
Lighting and sound controls
Lighting is controlled in one or more of three ways: directly from the touch screen of the lectern bench, from a nearby or wall-mounted control panel, or via a standard light switch (usually by the door). If a lectern bench is present, check the accompanying Lectern Bench User guide for which is applicable to that room.
Many of the larger Common Learning Spaces have sound facilities, usually a microphone on the lectern bench. This is not a public address system, but voice enhancement, which places your voice around the room so everyone can hear. The microphone has quite a wide range of pickup, so you don't need to speak directly into it as you talk.
Hearing loops
A number of Common Learning Spaces provide induction loops for the hard of hearing, and these are clearly indicated by a red Induction loop poster on the wall or wall display cabinet, with instructions to both the lecturer and the listener.
35mm Slides
Considered old technology, this is gradually being phased out, however there are some rooms with slide projectors for use, and instructions for these will be in the Lectern Bench User Guides. Some are controlled from the bench touch screen, others manually from the projector itself.
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