Wireless Projection from Laptops and Tablets

 

Project Proposal: 

Faculty have asked for more efficient ways than special cables to project from iPads or their own Mac laptops in their classrooms. Faculty would also like to to have their students more quickly show their presentations. Faculty and students can in turn project from their respective locations without having to get up and switch connections.

If a pilot is successful,  LTS  plans to install these in other small classrooms (in consultation with the faculty) less expensively than using ceiling-mounted projectors, a rack of video players, and switchers. Please note that this will either provide identical or enhanced functionality to the current setup.

 

Investigation <January 2014>:

This semester, four faculty teaching in a Clapp Library seminar room are testing wireless projection from iPads and Mac laptops. They are using their own Apple devices or ones loaned to them by LTS for the semester. We have outfitted the Sanger Room with an Apple TV, a $100 device the size of a hockey puck, and have connected it to a large HD display. (The Apple TV could also connect in a handful of our classrooms to projectors with convenient HDMI inputs.) Faculty who wish to use this device need to switch to a special Wi-Fi network on their device and turn on AirPlay Mirroring to wirelessly project in Sanger. This also provides the convenience of being able to project from anywhere in the classroom without having to connect any cables.


Completed <June 2015>:

The wireless projection pilot using AppleTV was successful. We have confirmed that wireless projection will work from Macintosh laptops, iPads and iPhones, and Windows laptops and tablets (using software called AirParrot.) Apple TVs are currently being added to new/renovated small classrooms as a standard piece of classroom equipment. If you are interested in learning more about Apple TV locations or how to use Apple TV or if you would like to request Apple TV for a classroom you use, please contact Kenny Freundlich.

 

Project Sponsor: Library & Technology Services

LTS Contact: Kenny Freundlich