You can’t design active learning with passive tech.
Today’s college classrooms are more dynamic, more mobile, and more collaborative than ever. But too often, AV systems are stuck in a one-to-many past: built for lecturing, not for learning.
As instructors reimagine how content is delivered and how students engage, the classroom needs to do more than display slides. It needs to move, flex, and respond to the moment. That means investing in tools that put collaboration first and barriers last.
Why Active Learning Needs a New AV Playbook
According to recent research, 69% of higher ed tech leaders say that “classroom technologies for learning and engagement” are their top AV priority. Engagement is not a luxury—it is the metric that matters.
Active learning environments prioritize participation above all. From group-based projects to hybrid peer instruction, today’s teaching methods require AV systems that:
- Support multiple users without logins or downtime
- Accommodate any device in the room
- Keep instructors mobile and in control
- Reduce friction—not just for IT, but for everyone using the space
The challenge is clear: traditional AV was built for passive consumption, not active collaboration. That disconnect costs institutions time, engagement, and learning outcomes every single day.
AV Features That Make Active Learning Possible
Multi-User Collaboration, Without the Clutter
In active classrooms, it is not just the instructor who shares. Students lead discussions. Small groups present findings. Remote participants jump in.
Systems that allow multiple users to share wirelessly, from wherever they sit, unlock new classroom dynamics—without adapters, dongles, or swapping control.
BYOD Without Barriers
Students bring a mix of devices to class every day. A flexible AV solution needs to work across macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS—with no downloads, no app installs, no IT setup.
Research shows that BYOD significantly increases student participation, with studies finding that 100% of students participated in class discussions when using their own devices, compared to only 40% in traditional classroom settings.
These findings demonstrate the direct relationship between technology friction and student engagement. However, engagement alone isn’t enough—institutions need tools that can capture and preserve collaborative work.
Annotation and Whiteboard Tools that Stick
Effective whiteboard solutions transform how ideas are captured and shared. Beyond basic on-screen sketching, today’s annotation tools must enable real-time collaboration across smartphones, tablets, and laptops—so multiple users can contribute simultaneously and participation becomes richer and more inclusive.
The value also extends beyond the immediate lesson. By preserving annotation sessions, institutions can meet accessibility needs, support asynchronous learning, and help absent students catch up—ensuring that no insights are lost and no learner is left behind.
This approach makes collaboration both more dynamic during class and more valuable long after students leave the room.
The Real-World Impact: Teaching That Flows
Mobility That Keeps Instructors in the Zone
Research shows student engagement increases when instructors move freely throughout the room. That is hard to do when you’re tied to a podium or cable.
Wireless AV lets instructors walk, talk, and teach—without leaving control behind.
Transitions Without Disruptions
Switching presenters should not feel like rebooting the room. The right tools allow seamless transitions between instructors, students, or groups—with no downtime, no confusion, and no momentum loss.
No Renovation Required
Active learning should not be held back by outdated infrastructure. With ScreenBeam:
- You use the displays you already have
- You avoid costly rip-and-replace projects
- You deploy quickly—room by room, without downtime
That means campuses can upgrade how they teach without overhauling how they’re built.
The Quiet Power of Tech That Stays Out of the Way
Great classroom tech should never steal the spotlight. It should elevate what happens between instructors and students—making collaboration easier, faster, and more natural.
That is exactly what ScreenBeam was built to deliver.
ScreenBeam 1100 Plus: Built for Active Learning
The ScreenBeam 1100 Plus is not just wireless display—it is classroom enablement in action. Designed for collaborative, fast-moving learning environments, it offers:
- Multi-user screen sharing across all major OS platforms
- App-free, dongle-free connectivity
- Whiteboarding and annotation tools
- Support for instructor mobility and student sharing
- Centralized management for campus-wide scalability
It is the AV tool instructors do not have to think about—because it just works.
Ready to Support More Learner-Driven Classrooms?
Explore how ScreenBeam turns classroom ambition into real-world AV impact.
Sources:
International Journal of Information and Education Technology, Vol. 10, No. 2, February 2020