We take you through some of the most important factors when considering what to buy!
What is a document camera / Visualizer?
A document camera (or Visualizer / Visualiser as they are also known) is a very flexible presentation tool. It consists of a camera combined with a light system, positioned over a reflection-free working surface.
Physical materials such as books, photographs, and other 3D objects can be placed simply onto the working surface. Content is picked up, and a high-resolution output signal provided to projectors or monitors for on-screen display.
When a Visualizer is connected to a computer using a web conferencing service, images and video are easily shown to both in-room, and remote classroom or meeting participants.
Document cameras are popular in education, business and judicial environments. They provide excellent imaging possibilities for working and learning applications of all types. They are commonly either installed onto a tabletop surface, or alternatively attached to or recessed into a ceiling.
How can a Visualizer improve your presentations?
Many studies* indicate that presentations made using a document camera or Visualizer, can help to make learning easier. Information presented visually is much easier to remember, and is retained for far longer than information presented only orally.
Combining materials to be presented using a document camera with other content such as PowerPoint slides, enables the media content source to be switched regularly, which helps to refresh audience attention spans. For hybrid working and learning, a document camera, when attached to a computer running a web conferencing application, helps to provide a consistent working and learning experience, for both in-person, and online meeting attendees. This is because everybody in the session sees the same on-screen content, wherever they are located.
References: Whitepaper ‘Using Visualizers to optimise presentation‘ by Chris Atherton 2011, Study by Nickerson RS (1968). A note on long-term recognition memory for pictorial material. Psychon. Sci 11(2):58-59 Survey of Wall Street Journal, ‘We don‘t pay attention to boring things‘ (Brain rules‘ by John Medina).
Next up, we’ll explore buying considerations! Stay tuned.