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

This book introduces the most common pieces of equipment you’ll find in a teaching space. Use the contents page to navigate through the different sections.

The specific model or brand of equipment in your room may look slightly different, and you may have more or fewer items than those shown here. This guide is intended to provide a general overview.

10. Control Panels

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Control panels—either touchscreen or button‑based—are used to manage the audio‑visual equipment in QMUL teaching rooms. While the layout may vary from room to room, the basic functions are usually the same.

This guidance explains the common features you can expect and how to use them confidently.

Get to Know the Control Panel

Different teaching spaces use different control systems, depending on the room size and available equipment.

You may find:

Touchscreen control panels in larger or recently refurbished rooms
Physical button panels in smaller or older rooms

Room‑specific instructions are usually displayed near the lectern or control panel. Where possible, take a moment before your session to familiarise yourself with what is available.

Control panel from older space with physical buttons Modern control panel with electronic buttons

Expect Differences Between Rooms

Equipment varies across the estate. For example:

Some rooms have two projectors, others have only one
Some include a visualiser, others do not
Smaller rooms may only offer basic controls, such as source selection and volume

As a result, control panels may look different even though they offer similar functions.

How to Select Sources and Displays

Use these steps to choose what device you want to show and where it appears in the room. This allows you to control which content is shown on displays or projectors during teaching.

Diagram showing how to select a source and choose a display or projector using a teaching room control panel, with options to START

Step 1: Choose the source

Tap the Source icon at the top of the control panel.

Select one of the following:

PC Main
PC Extended
Laptop or Tablet
Visualiser (document camera)

Step 2: Choose where to show it

Press the relevant Display button.

Choose one of the following:

Left Display
Left Projector
Right Display
Right Projector

Important note

Any display or projector can be blanked to prevent students from seeing the content.

Using more than one source

If you only need one source, stop here.
If you need multiple sources, repeat Step 1 and Step 2, selecting the required source and display each time.

END

Check Your Setup Before Teaching

Before your session starts, do a quick check:

Confirm the correct source is selected
Check that the expected content is showing on the screen(s)
Make sure audio is coming through the room speakers, if required

This helps avoid interruptions once teaching begins.

Practise Where Possible

You can check the room availability via web timetables.

To book a room reach out to timetabling team via "[Shared] Timetabling" <timetabling@qmul.ac.uk.>