Read our book "Equipment You May Find in Teaching and Learning Rooms"

9. Projector (screens and other displays)

A single projector facing forwards

Projector

A projector displays the image from the teaching PC or your laptop onto the main screen in the room. Most rooms have a ceiling‑mounted projector or a large display. Larger rooms may have two projectors and multiple projection areas, so the content can be seen clearly from all seating areas. Although models differ, they work in the same way. Use the room’s control panel to switch the projector on, choose the input source and control sound.

Please do not touch or adjust the projector itself. Ceiling‑mounted units are heavy and carefully aligned.

A single pull down projector screen with nothing projected on it.

Projector Screens

Projector screens provide the surface the projector displays onto. Different rooms use different screen types, including:

Pull‑down screens that you lower manually.
Whiteboard projection surfaces used instead of a separate screen.
Multiple screens in larger rooms to improve visibility.
Rooms with two projectors, which may have two projection areas or a wider teaching display area.

Please take care when lowering or raising pull‑down screens to avoid twisting or damage.

Tips

Make sure the screen is fully lowered before projecting.
If the room has multiple screens, select the one you want to use on the control panel.
Raise and lower pull‑down screens slowly to prevent damage.

Other Screens

Four screens displaying content. Including two projector screens and two tv screens

Some rooms include additional screens, wall‑mounted monitors or secondary display panels. These improve visibility across the room, especially in larger or wide spaces. They are usually linked to the main teaching PC or projector system and normally show the same content without needing extra setup.

Some rooms allow you to choose which screens are active using the control panel (more on this in the control panel chapter.)