What is the best screen mirroring app for teachers who want to use split-screen teaching in a flipped classroom?

According to many research studies, teachers using split-screen teaching encourage learners to inquire into what they are learning and can increase retention.  Today, many different apps and screen mirroring devices are available to schools, and some are even integrated directly into the display.   This article will look at different types of popular screen mirroring apps and their advantages and drawbacks to help you decide which is right for you. 

Here are the key elements to review:

• Screen mirroring apps integrated into smart boards 

• Stand-alone screen mirroring systems

• Third-party screen mirroring apps

Interactive displays or “smart boards” are rapidly replacing traditional LCD projectors as the primary classroom display in North America.  The main advantage of these apps is that they can be easily activated by the teacher right from the display. In addition, there are many features on these apps that may not be available on third-party apps or stand-alone screen mirroring presentation systems.

Standard Features

For example, every BenQ Board has an integrated classroom screen mirroring app, InstaShare.  When connected to the network, the software can create multiple screens on the display for split screen teaching, as well as enable students to view the display on their personal Chromebook, iPad, or other one -to one device,   To minimize disruption, there is a moderator function that only enables them to share their content on the main classroom display with the teacher’s approval.   Nearly all these apps enable Android / Windows/ Chrome/ iOS/ MacOS devices to wirelessly share their screen on the display. Most other smart board models such as SMART, Promethean, and Newline have similar apps – but the functions available on each model can vary widely between brands.  

Advanced Features 

Here are some of the other differences between the most advanced classroom screen-sharing apps:

Multiple screens

The InstaShare app that comes with the BenQ Board enables nine different screens to be shared simultaneously, which can be helpful for group collaboration in a classroom and comparison reviews.

Touchback

This enables the teacher or student to control their notebook directly from the touch function of the display.  This is very important in both annotation and controlling classroom presentations that are on a student or guest notebook or Chromebook.

Picture and Document Sharing

This feature enables a student or teacher to instantly cast a document or picture on the main display screen – saving precious classroom time when sharing multiple types of documents.

Here is a comparison table of various screen mirroring features available on each display and app:

If a school uses projectors or has a mix of projectors and smart boards in their classrooms, a stand-alone screen mirroring system can be an easy way to enable split-screen teaching and flipped classrooms without replacing the display.  This is also helpful for schools that have multiple brands of smart boards or projectors and want to make it simple for any teacher to connect regardless of display brand.

What to look for in a stand-alone classroom screen mirroring system

There are some significant differences in popular stand-alone screen mirroring systems used in classrooms that can impact both the school network and the amount of time it takes for a teacher and student to use them.  Here are the top considerations for IT managers to consider when evaluating them.

Network Bandwidth Usage

With the increase in virtual learning, classroom network bandwidth is often limited due to high traffic.  The best screen mirroring systems don’t use any classroom bandwidth – and keep school networking resources available for content and internet connectivity.

Ease of Use

In 2020, nearly half of all screen mirroring systems sold to corporations used a simple plug-and-play button – enabling meetings to start on time.   Since classroom teaching time is fixed, look for a system that avoids having teachers and students load an app, minimizing time wasted between presenters.  The BenQ InstaShow WDC20 can plug into a Chromebook, notebook, and even a media player and share the screen in less than 10 seconds.

Split Screen capabilities

The best stand-alone screen systems enable teachers to split the screen from anywhere in the room.   The least expensive systems often don’t have this capability – potentially limiting the academic benefits of screen mirroring.

4K Resolution Support

In 2023, no major brand offers any smart board that does not use a 4K interactive flat panel as its primary display.  Look for a wireless screen mirroring system that supports this resolution.

Here is a comparison table of popular stand-alone screen mirroring systems used in schools:

The third option is to use third-party screen-sharing apps like Chromecast or other applications that are loaded onto a teacher / student notebook.  There are dozens of these types of apps available today, but nearly all require subscriptions and licensing fees, and can create headaches for IT managers.

Here is a helpful article that breaks down the difference between a dedicated commercial screen application app used in meeting rooms and classrooms compared to using a consumer-style screen-sharing app like Chromecast in the classroom.