The Tablet Mylar Slides Classroom Presentation System
Evan Golub
(egolub@acm.org)
Department of Computer Science
Human-Computer Interaction Lab
University of Maryland

The Tablet Mylar Slides Classroom Presentation System is intended as an electronic replacement for traditional mylar slides. There are two different types of physical mylar slides; the slide deck where each is slide is around the size of a sheet of paper, and the slide roll where you have a single, "infinitely long" side whose width is around the width of a sheet of paper. The TMS system combines these two qualities to provide a deck of "infinitely long" slides.

The target audience for this application is faculty that would like the advantages of a presentation system such as PowerPoint, but do not want to switch to PowerPoint due to issues such as the time it would take to layout all of their slides, and the more static nature of PowerPoint. As an example, in my discrete math course I haven't gone to PowerPoint for two reasons; (1) the time to do all of the layout and formula editing and (2) I prefer to work out the proofs interactively with the students most of the time, or at least allow them to watch me work out a proof while talking through it.

When creating a slide in TMS, the length is "infinite". When you get to the bottom of the current slide, you can either explicitly grow the slide's length (there's a little button in the lower right-hand corner) or if you do not write anything for a few seconds, it will auto-grow. You can have as many slides in your deck as you require. You have seven pens available, each of a different (customizable) color. Additionally, you have an eighth pen available (indicated with the mortar board icon) for "hidden" instructor notes - notes that you will see on your TabletPC but students will not see projected on-screen. If your stylus does not have an "eraser" side, or if you prefer not to use it, you can exchange one of the pen-color buttons on the toolbar for an eraser button by going to the Edit menu and toggling the Show Eraser option.

To use TMS you'll need to extend the desktop. If you do not have it already extended, right-click on the desktop and select Properties from the context menu. This will bring up the Display Properties dialog. Select the Settings tab. Click on the representation of the second screen and then check the Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor option.

If you would like to post your slides on the Web, there is a Save As HTML option under the File menu. This option enables you to output your slides as a set of Web pages; a frame-based primary page that displays a list of pages on the left and the currently selected page on the right, and a related folder containing the actual table of contents page along with individual Web pages for each page in your slide set.

What you see on your TabletPC screen during class.

What the class sees projected at the front of the classroom.

You can also import a PowerPoint slide deck into TMS. This can be useful if you have a prepared PowerPoint show but would like the abilities provided by TMS such as hidden ink, easy access to multiple pens, slides that can grow in length, and the ability to present in portrait orientation. You can also prepend or append a new page with a single image (such as a screenshot) from the clipboard.

Page created from a PowerPoint show.

What the class sees projected at the front of the classroom.

DISCLAIMER: This software is provided on an "as-is" basis, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties that the software is free of defects, merchantable, fit for a particular purpose or non-infringing. User bears the entire risk as to the quality and performance of the software. Should the software prove defective in any respect, user assumes sole responsibility and liability for the entire cost of any service and repair in connection therewith. No use of this software is authorized except under this disclaimer.