Technology has significantly changed how we present, discuss, share and interact with information. With what used to involve numerous wires, cords and hardware, teachers can now present media from their laptops to a large presentation screen through the wireless pairing of devices.
Wireless presentation solutions have made a significant impact on the way teachers and students share information, and the latest wireless presentation systems not only help to enhance the way students and teachers present information, but also share and interact with content and media.
There’s good reason why interactivity has become a popular feature of many audiovisual technologies. Students who have the opportunity to actively learn, rather than absorb content at their desks through stationary tasks such as reading and listening, tend to be more engaged in what they are learning, thus resulting in better performance on class activities, homework and exams.
Many audiovisual companies have further enhanced their presentation products by including interactive features, and numerous booths at InfoComm Connections 2015 in New York City proudly showcased highly advanced interactive wireless presentation systems and technologies aimed at creating engaging learning environments for students both in and outside of the classroom.
Kramer, for example, introduced its new VIA Campus product, a wireless presentation system designed to increase student engagement by simplifying the way students and teachers present, share, edit and interact with content.
“With the first versions of VIA, we brought in whiteboarding and file sharing and access to the internet, so we thought, ‘What’s next?’”, says Michael DiBella, director of collaborative solutions for Kramer. “The ‘what’s next’ piece is teacher-student engagement. What we are always talking about in the A/V industry is really interacting with content…so in terms of the next level of interaction, for a teacher it’s quizzing on the spot, it’s polling on the spot.”
With VIA Campus’ polling feature, teachers can poll students on content to gain insight on students’ understanding of a lesson or how they feel they are progressing on a certain topic. With the quizzing feature, teachers can also send out quiz questions and receive instant responses from students to see which students may be behind or not understanding a certain concept.
Furthermore, VIA Campus aims to maintain students’ engagement in the classroom by providing teachers instant data from VIA Campus’ polling and quizzing feature. This data reveals information such as which students are participating in answering the polling questions and which students are not.
“As a student, I’m forced to engage. I can’t phone it in because now I have to interact with this, so on my tablet or computer I get these [polling] questions…and to me the beauty of that is now you’re getting that added level of engagement,” says DiBella.
With instant feedback, teachers can make adjustments to lesson plans, ensure students are engaged and participating, and improve their overall instruction.
WePresent’s Wireless Presentation System was also showcased at InfoComm Connections, and its WiPG product features also focused on increasing student engagement in the classroom. The WiPG 1500 allows teachers to not only project content wirelessly from any device in 1080p HD resolution, but also interact with that content, where both teachers and students can make annotations on the screen during presentations. The WiPG 1500 projects a virtual white or black board to annotate on, and is especially suited for (driverless) compatibility with existing touch displays.
Continuing the interactive trend on the show floor, DisplayNote showcased its Montage product, a wireless collaboration system that allows users to share content from their computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet onto a screen. In addition to allowing users in any location to share their digital media from any device onto a large screen, Montage is also touch-enabled, where users can drag and re-size participants’ windows, swipe files, control a PC from the main display, deploy annotation and whiteboard tools, allowing for an interactive and engaging experience.
Interactive learning is a rising trend in K-12 education and it’s not going away any time soon. Wireless presentation systems, along with many other audiovisual technologies, are not only interactive, but also extremely flexible and easy to implement. If your school’s learning goals include increasing engagement and activity in the classroom, a wireless presentation system may be a valuable investment for both your students and teachers.
Rachel Quetti is the editor of K-12 TechDecisions, aimed at helping K-12 professionals make better decisions about technology purchases for their classrooms, schools and school districts. Rachel joined the TechDecisions team in 2015 and covers the latest technology trends in the K-12 market.Get in Touch: [email protected] More by Rachel Quetti
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