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Classroom technology guidance

This guide is designed to assist visitors and external users hiring Birkbeck rooms in navigating classroom technology hosted within Birkbeck’s buildings. 

The instructions apply to all classrooms (but not lecture theatres or IT rooms) in Malet Street, Birkbeck Central, Clore and Euston Road.

For more general information, please visit our teaching rooms and audiovisual support page. 

If you are a Birkbeck staff member, please see our guidance available on SharePoint.

Users can use classroom technology in ‘Hyflex mode’, ‘Presentation mode’ and by using their own laptop. 

Hyflex mode activates all three screens in the room, making it more suitable for online sessions. It also offers the presenter greater flexibility in sharing and displaying content within the room. 

Presentation mode duplicates the PC monitor on two touchscreens and should therefore be used for in-person sessions. 

Hyflex mode

  • Press the 'Start' button on the Extron panel and then select 'HyFlex'. 
  • On the main screen of the Extron panel, you will see controls for ‘Left Screen’, ‘Right Screen’ and ‘Rear Screens’. The left monitor on the lectern is the main PC monitor (i.e., for login) and matches the ‘Left Screen’ in the room; the middle monitor and the right monitor on the lectern match the room's ‘Right Screen’ and ‘Rear Screen' respectively. 
  • Use your Birkbeck email address and password to log in on the classroom PC. If you are not an enrolled student or a member of staff, you may be provided with an ITS username and password (for example, when hiring a room). More details about logging in as an external user can be found on the usernames, passwords and MFA page of our website. 
  • All client desktop applications launch on the left monitor (and ‘Left Screen’). Organise your content by clicking on and dragging any application to the right on to the middle monitor (and ‘Right Screen’) and further to the right on to the right monitor (and ‘Rear Screen’). 
  • If you want to hide content, you can choose “Blank All” from the ‘Blank Screen’ option on the left-hand side of the Extron Panel. You can also blank any one of the monitors, thus turning it into a ‘confidence’ monitor by pressing the relevant button in the same screen. 
  • Launch your preferred browser (MS Edge or Chrome) by clicking the icon on the desktop or by using the Windows Search navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to find and launch it. 
  • Launch your preferred videoconferencing software by clicking the icon on the desktop or by searching for it using the Windows Search navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. You can also use web versions of any videoconferencing platforms via web browser. 
  • Make sure the correct AV settings are selected before launching or joining an online session. The AV equipment in the rooms is labelled as follows: 
    • ‘Camera’ - INOGENI CAM230 
    • ‘Microphone’ - Echo Cancelling Speakerphone (DMP Plus USB#1) 
    • ‘Speaker’ - Echo Cancelling Speakerphone (DMP Plus USB#1) 
  • Share your content by using the share functionality of your videoconferencing software. 
  • If you want to use or share a digital whiteboard, you can open myViewBoard from the desktop and control it from the touchscreens. If you prefer to use a different whiteboard application, search OpenBoard from the start menu and control it from the touchscreens. If you are using MS Teams, you can use and share the MS Whiteboard integrated in the software. 
  • At the end of your session, remember to exit all applications open on the Desktop (and log out from any of them if required). 
  • Click on the Windows button in the middle of the Windows bar at the bottom of the Desktop. Next click on your name, then on the three dots and select 'Sign out'. 
  • Tap ‘Power Down’ from the top right-hand corner of the panel. This should send the Extron Panel back to the ‘Start’ screen and put the touchscreens in the room in stand-by/power safe mode. 

Presentation mode

  • Press the 'Start' button on the Extron panel and then select 'Presentation'. 
  • The left monitor on the lectern is the main monitor. The content displayed on this monitor will be replicated across all touchscreens in the room. The middle and right monitors are ‘confidence’ monitors. 
  • Use your Birkbeck email address and password to log in on the classroom PC. If you are not an enrolled student or a member of staff, you may be provided with an ITS username and password (for example, when hiring a room). More details about logging in as an external user can be found on the usernames, passwords and MFA page of our website. 
  • Launch your preferred browser (MS Edge or Chrome) by clicking the icon on the desktop or by using the Windows Search navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to find and launch it. 
  • If you want to use a digital whiteboard, you can open myViewBoard from the desktop and control it from the touchscreens. If you prefer to use a different whiteboard application, search OpenBoard from the start menu and control it from the touchscreens. 
  • At the end of your session, remember to exit all applications open on the desktop (and log out from any of them if required). 
  • Click on the Windows button in the middle of the Windows bar at the bottom of the Desktop. Next click on your name, then on the three dots and select 'Sign out'. 
  • Tap ‘Power Down’ from the top right-hand corner of the panel. This should send the Extron Panel back to the ‘Start’ screen and put the touchscreens in the room in stand-by/power safe mode. 

Using your laptop

  • Connect your laptop via either the HDMI or the USB-C cable available on the lectern (near the keyboard and mouse). 
  • To gain full control of the classroom camera(s) and microphone(s), please also plug in the USB-A cable - if you are an Apple user, you may have to source a suitable adapter.  
  • Press the 'Start' button. The default setting is PC; the left monitor on the lectern is the main monitor.  
  • Select the applicable media input e.g., HDMI, USB-C from the top of the Extron Panel. 
  • Your laptop display settings should default to 'Extend'. This means that your laptop display works as a ‘confidence’ monitor. As such, you can drag any content to the right to make it show on the touchscreens (and on the left monitor on the lectern). 
  • No login on the classroom PC is required. Use your laptop and make sure you have access to all the applications you need to run your session(s). 
  • At the end of your session, Tap ‘Power Down’ from the top right-hand corner of the panel. This should send the Extron Panel back to the ‘Start’ screen and put the touchscreens in the room in stand-by/power safe mode.