If you’re in the market for a new interactive display for your classroom, you’ve probably considered projectors and flat-panel displays. You might have already taken a look at some projectors for teaching and concluded that a simple flat-panel display would be simpler.
While a flat panel, even as big as 70” may seem like a large enough display for most classrooms, recent research indicates visibility is compromised with “smaller” displays – even those as big as 70”. In fact, the research indicates that 58% of classroom students cannot read content on a 70” display.
Here are four areas to look at when selecting the right display size for any classroom:
Potential size of the display
Ensuring every student can see from his/her seat is critical. A person’s ability to see is called “visual acuity,” and it’s measured using the well-recognized Snellen Eye Chart, which is based on the simple fact that something twice as far away needs to be twice as big for equivalent visibility and to achieve 20/20 vision.
Optimizing visibility
Based on the 4/6/8 Rule, a 70″ display, in a square classroom, can be seen clearly by as few as 20% of the students, leaving the other students with an inferior experience. Therefore, 40% of students will be completely outside the 8x absolute maximum viewing area, affecting their ability to see and comprehend information.
The 4/6/8 rule
The 4/6/8 Rule is a common standard for determining screen size. This rule states that, depending on the type of content being presented, there is a maximum distance the viewers can be from the display in order to see it clearly.
Applying the 4/6/8 rule
It’s typically recommended to use the “6x or smaller” multiplier to handle the variety of content shown and shared in a classroom setting.
Imaging technology has dramatically affected the experience of teaching and classroom dynamics. From a time when the primary ways to relay information were verbal, via a blackboard or overhead projector, to the current array of computers, tablets, flat screens and projectors – deciding what to select can be complicated. However the big dilemma isn’t which technology to select, but how to support the right visual environments that help staff to teach and help students learn. Engaging your classrooms can be difficult – use display size to your advantage, and carefully consider its overall impact when selecting your next technology solution.
Find out how to select the most effective classroom display size in Display Size Matters: Selecting the Right Display Size for Classrooms. Learn how to use the 4/6/8 rule, content implications, and choosing the optimal display size for square, wide, and deep classroom styles.
