Unveiling the University’s largest LED screens

New state-of-the-art LED displays in Appleton Tower Lecture Theatres 4 and 5 will provide brighter, clearer and more engaging teaching materials.

Learning Spaces Technology have completed a major audio visual upgrade in Appleton Tower’s lecture theatres 4 and 5. At the centre of the refurbishment are two of the largest Samsung LED screens installed in UK higher education — one in each lecture theatre. Each screen measures 9.6 metres by 2.7 metres, with a resolution of 3840 by 1080 pixels and a 2.5mm pixel pitch.

Presenters can control content using a touch screen built into the teaching desk. Two 4K document cameras allow books, documents and physical objects to be shown on the LED walls, while a 55-inch interactive screen supports writing and annotation using tools such as Microsoft Whiteboard.

Content from the interactive screen can be displayed clearly to students and included in lecture recordings through Echo360.

The installation formed part of a year-long refurbishment prompted by the need to replace reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the roof. The wider project included new seating, flooring and acoustic ceilings.

The audio visual work took around two months and included the LED walls, reinstatement of the teaching desks and upgraded cameras for lecture capture. The LED walls themselves were installed across both rooms in six days.

The refurbishment provided a rare opportunity to use the full width of the front walls, creating modern and flexible teaching environments designed to improve the experience of staff and students.