A recently installed state-of-the-art presentation system has enhanced the capabilities of the College's Study Centre.
One of the hallmarks of St Margaret's College is its tutorial programme,
with a large number of tutorials being held in the Study Centre - a
dedicated teaching and conference space.
With the room's previous basic projection and audio visual (AV) equipment, installed in the late 2000s, reaching the end of its useful life, the College engaged Dunedin-based AV contractors Vision to provide recommendations for an upgrade.
The most intriguing suggestion was the installation of an Epson interactive projector, essentially turning the projection surface into a giant touchscreen. This would also alleviate the need to manually raise and lower the existing projector screen when the whiteboard was required.
An integrated podium and projection desk was designed and built by Leith Joinery, into which Crestron automation system with touchscreen controls and a dedicated room computer were installed. This enables all of the equipment to be turned on with a single touch , and does away with infrared remote controls.
The desk also holds an Epson document camera for displaying physical documents and objects on the screen (a modern take on the Overhead Projector) and inputs for connecting a laptop computer.
PowerPoint slides can be advanced with a simple flick on the finger on the whiteboard, and can be annotated on-screen using a range of drawing tools. There is even the capability of pushing the current image being displayed out to mobile devices such as iPads and smartphones, although this functionality is not yet enabled.
Feedback from tutors and conference guests alike has been highly positive, and most people are able to learn how to the use of the system with only a few minutes of instruction.
