The disadvantage of a PowerPoint presentation is that: the tutor cannot interact with the database to illustrate points raised by students
the presentation will usually need to be loaded onto a PC with a hard drive or a networked PC, since captured database screens take up a large amount of disk space and will be slow to load from a floppy disk. PowerPoint can take up to a minute to load a presentation. It is therefore recommended that wherever possible the file is opened in the Viewer before the lesson commences.
If PowerPoint handouts are offered in advance of the presentation it is good practice to put the material on the Web for students to download. But if there are many slides remember the cost to the student in printing them off.
Data projectors Some lecture theatres and even tutorial rooms now have ceiling mounted projectors connected to a control desk situated near where the lecturer usually stands. This type of projector produces a clearer and stronger image, and the integration of the control equipment, which can include a video player as well as a computer, makes it easier to use than separate units – an OHP, a PC and LCD panel.
Data projectors are often found in IT training rooms linked to a ‘master’ PC. Increasingly they are being fitted in ordinary small group teaching rooms. There are now portable data projectors which can be plugged into the back of an ordinary PC. Data projectors make possible the projection of data from video, CD, PowerPoint and the Internet. Some teaching and training rooms are equipped with touch sensitive screens, so that the projected display can be controlled by the tutor simply by touching a keyboard projected onto the edge of the projection screen.
The main tip about data projectors is that they usually require several minutes to warm up before they are ready to display images. Always set them up before beginning the class.
LCD panels This aid has been largely superseded by data projectors. But, since many smaller teaching and training rooms may not be fitted with data projectors, the following guidance is provided. A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel connected to a PC and placed on an overhead projector will enable you to project computer generated images onto a display screen for the whole class to read. To be effective LCDs usually need to be placed on an overhead projector which contains a very much more powerful lamp than is available in the usual type of projector. Even with a powerful lamp some LCDs do not produce a very sharp or clear image in a large lecture theatre. This is particularly noticeable if the image is from a computer database screen containing subtle shades of colour, lacking great contrast, which blur or disappear when viewed at a distance. Further, there is quite an art to arranging all the cables and connections between the various pieces of equipment to ensure they can be used safely.