To avoid technical problems at the start of your first lecture, you should visit a vacant CLS room (preferably one you will be teaching in) and make sure:
- you have all the right cables and/or adapters;
- you know how to successfully connect your laptop to the data projector or flat panel display;
- you know how to connect, set up and adjust the audio output if required;
- that you can connect via Eduroam Wi-Fi if required.
Video
- Plug the VGA or HDMI cable into the external display port on your laptop.
- Some laptops (e.g. a MacBook) also require a special display adapter, which you must bring with you. See HDMI connections for details.
- Choose whether to duplicate (mirror) or extend your laptop display.
If you are going to use Panopto to record the session, choose ‘duplicate’ unless you are confident you know how to ensure Panopto records an extended display. - Windows laptops usually have a function key (e.g. Dell uses F8, Toshiba uses F5 and IBM uses F7) that allows you to step through the display options (laptop screen only – duplicate – extend – data projector only).
- MacBook laptops use the Display control panel to select external display options.
- If you use PowerPoint and extend your display (e.g. to a data projector), you can use presenter mode (on the Slide Show menu) to show your slides on the big screen while your laptop display shows a preview of the next slide, speaker notes and a timer. This can be very useful, but practice first in a vacant CLS room!
Audio
- If you use the VGA cable and want the students to hear audio from your laptop (e.g. from a YouTube video) then connect the 3.5mm audio plug and adjust the volume.
- Set your laptop sound level to around 50% and then adjust the actual volume using the room’s control panel.
- Note that HDMI cables carry audio as well as video. Plug in the HDMI cable and select the correct output option from your laptop’s audio control panel.
All CLS rooms provide these three cables to connect your laptop:
