Interactive teaching tools have revolutionised the way information is presented to students, giving teachers new ways to keep students engaged. One such tool that promises to expand educators’ abilities is called a document camera, also known as a visualiser. Choosing the best classroom visualiser for your particular needs can be difficult, but if you just have a good idea of what it is you want to present you are already off to a great start!
What is a Classroom Visualiser?
A visualiser is a compact device that enables users to capture and stream images and live video of just about any object that fits under the camera. Images are projected onto a board or broadcast onto a monitor to allow the entire class to clearly see what is being presented, often in HD quality. Whether you are reading text from a book, performing an experiment or exploring countries on a map, now everyone in the class can easily follow along. A visualiser combines the functions of various instruments that have been used in classrooms for a while. Essentially, you have a digital camera, an overhead projector and a whiteboard all rolled into one convenient product.
Different Visualiser Functions
Everyone’s setup is different and the best classroom visualiser will be the one that best meets your needs. You need to consider the size of the classroom, the number of students in that class and what you wish to achieve by incorporating this device into your lessons. If you are going to use the visualiser mainly to scan through books, you might want to choose a device that has a curve-flattening function. The book will then be projected as a flat page as intelligent software eliminates the shadows cast by the curve of the book.
If you want to perform a lot of experiments or present three-dimensional objects, you may want a visualiser that has a more powerful zoom function. Students are then able to see the finer details of smaller objects, something that might have previously required a magnifying glass. Some classroom visualisers also allow educators to highlight and annotate work on the screen, so you can easily make notes for everyone to see.
Sharing study material has never been easier and you can record instructional videos as part of your preparation and send it to your students before class or show them a pre-recorded demonstration as a part of the lesson. AVerTouch is the ultimate software for sharing content between AVer visualizers and mobile devices. It syncs automatically to the cloud for effortless storage, so you can capture images and videos with annotations and easily share them with students.
Contact PPM Audio Visual if you need help choosing the best classroom visualiser for your students! We stock a variety of Aver document cameras that are packed full of functions to improve the way you engage with your learners. Our team of experts will take all your needs into consideration and assist you in finding the device that is perfect for you.
