A Guide To Laptop Use In Smart Classrooms

Transcription

1 A Guide To Laptop Use In Smart Classrooms The following is a generalized set of instructions and troubleshooting steps offered to assist faculty setting up laptop computers for use with smart classroom AV systems. As there are inevitable variations between classrooms and between laptop computers, these instructions and troubleshooting steps are meant to supplement, and not replace, a scheduled introduction on how you can most effectively operate the AV system in the smart classroom you are using. To schedule an introduction, please call Instructional Services at Preparing The Laptop Before removing your laptop from your office, prepare it for classroom presentation: Verify that your laptop is in mirroring mode such that you are seeing the same image in your laptop display as you are seeing on your office monitor. If you are not using your laptop with a monitor in your office, you may set this up in the break between classes in the smart classroom before your class. On the keyboard, depress and hold the Fn key. Select the Monitors control panel. Select the Arrange button. Drag one monitor icon on top of the other. On the Hardware row, select the Displays preference icon. Within Displays, select the Display tab Select Detect Displays and an Arrange tab will appear. Select the Arrange tab. Repeatedly press the F8 key until the image is presented on both the laptop display and the external monitor. (The cycle will include laptop only, external monitor only, and both displays.) Check the Mirror Displays setting then drag one monitor icon on top of the other. Adjust the laptop's external display resolution to 1024x768 pixels. Select the Monitors control panel. Select the Monitor button. Select the 1024x768 setting. On the Hardware row, select the Displays preference icon. Within Displays, select the Display tab Select the 1024x768 non-stretched setting. Right click while the mouse cursor is pointed at nothing on the desktop. From the menu that appears, select Properties. Select the Settings tab. In the Screen Resolution box drag the bar until 1024x768 is displayed below the bar.

2 Turn off the laptop's power management or sleep functions. Within the Start menu, select Control Select the Energy Saver control panel. Select the Sleep Set Up tab. Select the Show Details button. For all Power Adapter settings, set to never or to a time that will exceed your class time. (Remember to set these back after class.) Within the Hardware row, select the Energy Saver control panel. Select the Sleep Set Up tab. Select the Show Details button. For all Power Adapter settings, set to never or to a time that will exceed your class time. (Remember to set these back after class.) Select the Power Options control panel. Select the Power Schemes tab. For all Plugged In settings, set to never or to a time that will exceed your class time. (Remember to set these back after class.) Turn off Blitz Notify and other reminder functions. Select the Notify control panel. Slide the Off/On bar in the BlitzMail Notification field to Off. Run the Notify Settings application. Slide the Off/On bar in the BlitzMail Notification field to Off. Within the Start menu, select Dartmouth Network and then select Blitzmail Notify. Un-check the Blitzmail Notification Active check box. Power down the laptop. Pack the monitor adapter cable (ibooks and PowerBooks only; not required for Dells.) This cable adapts the output of an Apple laptop to a standard 15-pin VGA type connector that is used in all smart classrooms. You must bring this cable along with your Apple laptop to use a smart classroom display system. Pack the power supply. TIP: Keep a charged battery in your laptop, as some laptops require that a charged battery remain installed to retain certain control panel settings while disconnected from external power. TIP: If possible, send yourself an with the files you will be using so that, if necessary, you may download them onto the dedicated classroom computer. TIP: Pack a spare Ethernet cable.

3 Setting Up In The Classroom Once in the smart classroom, follow these steps to set up your laptop: Power up the AV system that is in the classroom. Connect the laptop power supply. Connect the monitor extension cable (supplied at the lectern) to the external monitor and headphone jacks of the laptop. Connect the other end of the monitor extension cable to the laptop or portable computer jacks on the lectern. In some rooms this will be a pigtail that is permanently attached to the lectern. In those rooms you can skip this step. Connect the Ethernet cable (supplied at the lectern) if you will be using the wired network. Note: connection will revert to wireless if no Ethernet connection is made. Power up the laptop. Select laptop or portable computer on the AV system touch screen or switcher panel. You should now see an image on the projection screen and on the laptop s internal display. You should now be able to hear a sound file through the audio system. Troubleshooting Dial to obtain emergency assistance during class hours. Please classroom scheduling or phone to report other non time-critical difficulties with the use of the AV system - whether you were able to fix the problem or not. To attempt to correct the situation on your own, please refer to the following: No Laptop Image On Screen At Start Up Reselect laptop or portable computer on the AV system s touch panel or switcher. Select an alternate source and then reselect the laptop. Check connections. Check video setting on laptop: for Dells, press and hold the Fn key and repeatedly press the F8 key to cycle through the possible options (this will enable the internal display, external monitor, or both.) and for Macs, check the monitors control panel.

4 Restart laptop (some older laptops require a restart before an external display is recognized.) Restart AV system (do this only as a last resort; projector will take several minutes to cool before restarting.) Call if you have not done so already. Image On Screen Different From Image On Laptop Enable video mirroring via the control panel as described above. Image On Screen Is Soft, Blurred, Or Noisy Check the laptop s external display resolution; reset to 80kHz. Press the auto adjust button on the AV system touch screen or switcher (where available) for the projector to lock onto the unique timing of your laptop. Image On Screen Disappears During Presentation Check to see if your laptop has gone to sleep; wake up the computer by moving the mouse. Check to see if you haven't inadvertently selected another source or blanked the projector. Reselect laptop or portable computer on the touch panel or switcher. Check power and signal connections on the laptop. No Sound From Laptop Unplug audio cable from laptop speaker jack to hear if the laptop is producing sound. If not, the problem is isolated to the laptop. If so, the problem is in the AV system. Check the sound control panel on the laptop; un-mute or raise volume level there. Test using another file that you know has sound. Increase volume control setting on touch panel or switcher. Reselect laptop or portable computer on the touch panel or switcher. Check the audio cable connections. Low Volume Sound Increase volume control setting on touch panel or switcher.

5 Check the sound control panel on the laptop; un-mute or raise volume level there. Laptop Sound Much Higher Or Lower Than Other Sources Check the sound control panel on the laptop; adjust volume level there so that the laptop s output is of a similar level to other sources; make a note of this setting for future uses. Laptop Sound Is Mono Instead Of Stereo Verify that the audio system is stereo and not mono. (A pair of speakers placed left and right of the screen typically denotes a stereo system; ceiling speakers alone typically denotes a mono system.) Check laptop audio cable connection - push cable into jack completely. Check file type; retest with file known to be in stereo. Laptop Sound Is Only Left Or Right Channel Of A Stereo Signal Check laptop audio cable connection; if not inserted fully only one channel will pass. Laptop Network Connection Worked At Office But Does Not Work In Classroom Check the laptop control panels for Macs check for zones in the chooser, for Dells open a network browser and look for activity in the icon in the upper right corner. Check connections of Ethernet cables, dongles, and cards to see that all are seated properly. Try a different Ethernet jack. Reboot the laptop.