Development of a Raspberry Pi-Based Smart Classroom Display System for Secondary Schools in Enugu State

Secondary schools in Enugu State, South East Nigeria, frequently lack modern multimedia display infrastructure, limiting teachers' ability to deliver engaging digital content and hindering the transition to technology-supported pedagogy. This project developed a Raspberry Pi 4-based smart classroom display system capable of projecting educational slides, video content, and interactive quizzes onto a standard projector or HDMI monitor. The system ran a custom Python and Tkinter GUI on the Raspberry Pi OS Lite, supporting pre-loaded PowerPoint, PDF, and video files via a USB drive. A wireless keyboard and mouse allowed teacher control from anywhere in the classroom. An offline-first design ensured full functionality without internet connectivity, addressing the unreliable connectivity common in South East Nigerian secondary schools. The system was piloted in two Senior Secondary School classrooms at Government College Enugu over six weeks. Teacher satisfaction surveys (n=12) recorded a mean rating of 4.4 out of 5 for ease of use and 4.6 for content delivery improvement. Student engagement scores from peer-assessed lesson observation sessions showed a 31.2 percent increase compared to chalk-board-only sessions. System boot time averaged 28 seconds. Total hardware cost was 62,000 naira, representing approximately 18 percent of the cost of commercial interactive whiteboard solutions. Observed limitations included slow large-video playback resolution and occasional USB recognition delays. The study recommends a phased deployment model for government-funded secondary schools across all Enugu State education zones.

Keywords: Raspberry Pi, smart classroom, educational technology, secondary school, Enugu State