Using audio-visual aids in presentations can greatly enhance a presentation; however, it also has the capacity to cause problems. Here are some suggestions to minimize these risks.

1. Please make sure to inform your students that, if they wish to use AV materials in their presentations, arrangements should be made at least twenty-four hours in advance.

2. Establish whether the professor or the students will be calling in the orders. If it is the students' responsibility, please make it clear to them that they should call in their orders to ext. 2296 .

3. Whoever is calling in the order, please be a comprehensive as possible in giving us the relevant information. If students wish to use video as well as computer, or if they wish to use audio from the laptop or some other AV equipment, please try to make sure to tell us when the order is placed. While we try to accommodate all users, we may not be able to fill such requests if we are not told in advance.

4. If students/faculty are relatively unfamiliar with projecting computer images or other AV equipment they are requesting, please make it clear at the time you are placing the order so that a technician can meet you at your class. Again, while we attempt to accommodate all customers, we often have limited time in which to set up multiple orders. Letting us know you need help in advance will help us to give your class more individual attention.

5. Many students use their own laptops in presentations. While we support students and faculty in using their own equipment with AV facilities, please be aware this can lead to several problems. Unfortunately, some student laptops are not projection-ready, due to altered laptop settings or missing software drivers. If you are going to have students use their own laptops, we recommend that you advise them to contact us in advance if they have never used their laptop with a projector before. Because of different software settings, and the need for additional adaptors in some cases, Mac laptops tend to have more problems than PCs. While we will attempt to rectify these problems when they occur, we cannot fix all of these problems in a classroom setting. As such, if the students are not experienced or familiar with a projector system, they should either contact us in advance, or make provisions to have a backup (such as overhead transparencies) available.

6. Another problem encountered in student presentations is when multiple laptops are used, causing a delay in an already tightly scheduled class. Unfortunately, due to computer boot times and the need to reconfigure laptop settings, the time devoted to setting up each laptop can take up to several minutes, or possibly more, if problems are encountered.

6A. One solution to avoid this delay, and to avoid possible technical problems, is to designate a single laptop for presentations and have students bring in their presentations on a disk or a USB flash drive. Said laptop may be your own, a student's, or one may be borrowed from the Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Corner (x2734) . However, if you wish to use multiple laptops, please be aware that additional setup time will be necessary in the best of circumstances.

6B. Another solution to avoid delay and possible technical problems, is to ask each student to submit their presentation via e-mail to you before class as well as bring a CD backup. Students can also save copies on their network (G:\) drives, although this requires 1) a wireless enabled laptop or 2) an ethernet cable and jack.

Office
Audio & Video Systems & Services

Location
Anderson Hall, Lower Level, Room B-43

Hours
Mon - Thu: 8:00am - 11:00pm
Fri: 8:00am - 6:00pm
(later as requested)
Sat and Sun: as requested

Contact
Phone: (202) 885-2296
Fax: (202) 885-2260
E-mail: av@american.edu

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Related Links
-AV Services