Promoting Collaborative Learning in Lecture Halls using Multiple Projected Screens with Persistent and Dynamic Content

A necessary condition for collaborative learning is shared access and control of the representations of information under discussion. Much of the teaching in higher education today is done in classroom lectures with a largely one-way flow of information from the instructor to students, often using computer slides. Persistence of the information is not under student control and there is little student-initiated interaction or dynamic use of the visual aids. We evaluated the use of MultiPresenter, a presentation system that utilizes multiple screens to afford more flexibility in the delivery of the lecture and persistence of information so students can selectively attend to information on their own terms. Data about the use of multiple screens provides insights into how MultiPresenter affects classroom interactions and students' learning. We discuss these findings and make recommendations for extending MultiPresenter to better support symmetric collaborative learning within the context of large lecture presentations.