Boosting Campus Communication with Digital Signage

In the past, digital signage has largely been associated with use in public spaces, high-end offices, and the events industry. However, this is rapidly expanding, as school leaders and teachers are recognizing some of the exciting ways this technology can be used within academic environments. Not only this, but the concept of digital signage for education is becoming more necessary – it is one of the key ways in which schools can improve on-campus communication.

Digital signage for education offers a flexible way to provide information to students and teachers, as the information on digital displays can be changed quickly and effortlessly, while the technology itself can be scaled up and down. Digital displays can replace the need for information boards and conventional signage on campus, and these displays can be implemented throughout a school in hallways, staffrooms, auditoriums, and within classrooms.

Keep reading below as we explore the ways in which digital signage can be implemented in schools and other similar academic environments, and explain the various benefits associated with using this technology to convey information.

Before exploring the potential uses for campus digital signage and the numerous benefits the technology can offer schools and other academic institutions, it is worth taking the time to explain precisely what digital signage is.

Techopedia’s definition of digital signage refers to all digital sign boards, billboards and similar display devices used for displaying visual information. It is a type of electronic signage and may also be referred to as dynamic signage, highlighting its potential to display different visual information at different times.  Digital signage will typically utilize LCD, LED, or projection technology. It can be used to display simple text and images, or even used for multimedia broadcasting, which can include the display of video and web content.

The process of implementing digital signage in schools may initially seem daunting, but it is actually a relatively straightforward process. In many schools, much of the technology that will be needed is already in use, or similar solutions are being used, and this can help to make the transition to digital signage significantly easier.

Digital signage usually relies on the presence of digital display screens using LCD or LED technology. Within classroom settings, content may be shown on television screens, on presentation displays, or on interactive whiteboards, such as ViewSonic’s ViewBoards for Eduation offering. This technology can be easily used in hallways, gyms, cafeterias, common areas, and even outside school buildings. Digital content can provide teachers and students with important information, which could include news, upcoming events, directions, weather information, and more.

It should also be noted that the information displayed on school digital signage can be changed at will. So, if a display usually provides directions or calendar details, it can be temporarily altered to show breaking news or other important information. All displays can show the same content, or each can show unique content, depending on individual needs but it is done best when you are able to use device management software, like myViewBoard Manager, that allows for remote control and quick modifications.

In order to fully understand how digital signage can improve campus communication, it is important to explore some of most significant ways that digital signage can enhance academic environments:

• Scalable and Responsive Communication
• Excellent Reach with Minimal Effort
• Opportunities for Multimedia Broadcasting
• A Cost-effective Signage Solution
• Potential to Improve Academic Performance
• Simple Remote Management Options
• Emergency and Celebratory Notifications

1. Scalable and Responsive Communication

The first set of benefits worth highlighting when exploring the uses for digital signage for education is its flexibility, overall responsiveness, and scalability. These qualities combine to provide academic institutions with a valuable tool for disseminating information while also improving the aesthetics of classrooms, hallways, and other key areas of a school.

In terms of flexibility and responsiveness, educators should note that the content shown on digital signage can be changed as many times as necessary. In other words, unlike more traditional signage, the information or message can be altered to fit the precise needs of the moment. Not only can displays be changed, but the updated content can also be made visible almost immediately. This level of responsiveness allows for alerts and breaking news to be shown. Corrections or modifications can be made to signage, with the displays being updated within a matter of seconds.

Aside from this flexibility and responsiveness, digital signage is also fully scalable. This means an unlimited number of devices, as long as they’re managed with the correct software, can be added to or withdrawn from the network at any time, and that content which is initially displayed on one digital display can be made to appear on multiple digital displays simultaneously, or even on every display.

2. Excellent Reach with Minimal Effort

Another major benefit associated with digital signage is its ability to reach a large number of people with minimal effort. A school can quickly and easily create a message or display that can be shown in all hallways on campus – or in all classrooms – and this can help to ensure that everyone sees the most essential messages.

All of this can also be achieved with minimal effort. Using a tool like the ViewSonic ViewBoard Box, multiple displays can be managed remotely, allowing for swift changes to be made to what is shown and where it is displayed. When you compare this to the process of using conventional signage, it helps to highlight the difference in effort levels. With conventional signage, each time a school wants to alter what is displayed, they would need to have new signage made and then put it up in the correct place. With digital signage, this same process occurs at the touch of a button.

3. Opportunities for Multimedia Broadcasting

One of the single biggest benefits linked to the use of digital signage for education is its ability to go beyond what conventional signage can display. This is especially true when interactive whiteboards and digital displays are used for multimedia broadcasting purposes, and this can include displaying images, video content, and music.  To make multimedia broadcasting easier, it is also possible to establish playlists or schedule the broadcasting of specific content in advance. This can help schools to broadcast the right content, at the right moment, so that it ultimately reaches the intended audience and achieves the desired outcome.

There are several key benefits to using multimedia content on digital displays. For instance, video content combines audio and visual content, and can be used to convey much more than text alone would. The broadcasting of music through digital displays can allow schools to establish the ambiance they want, while audio can also be used to send important announcements to teachers and students. The combination of visual and audio content also means that students with impaired sight or vision can still be reached, improving digital accessibility within schools.

4. A Cost-Effective Signage Solution

Although digital display technology can seem like a major investment, the cost-effectiveness of digital signage is an aspect that is sometimes overlooked when evaluating its numerous benefits.  Due to the fact that content shown on digital signage can be changed at will, the costs associated with creating different signs for display are eliminated. At the same time, digital signage also has the potential to reduce costs linked to printing and distributing information for teachers, students, and visitors to the school too.

Many schools will already have digital display screens, interactive whiteboards, and other examples of technology that can be used for digital signage. Using tools like the aforementioned myViewBoard Manager, content can be easily displayed on these devices and controlled from anywhere as long as you have a laptop or computer.

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5. Potential to Improve Academic Performance

Digital signage has the potential to improve academic performance, and this is primarily linked to the way the signage can help to reinforce what is learned during lessons. Within a classroom, a digital display can serve to highlight key information or to recap the most important details from previous lessons.

Digital signage can be used to appeal to students with different learning styles too. Some students may find it easier to take in information that is presented on a digital display than they do when listening to direct teacher-to-student instruction. Teachers also have opportunities to get creative with this. After all, digital displays can show multimedia content, and this creates possibilities for drawings, animations, videos, or photographs to be deployed.  When used effectively, this can boost knowledge retention, meaning students will remember more of what has been taught over the long term. This long-term knowledge retention boost can be especially useful for students taking exams, but it can also help with homework, conventional coursework, and classroom-based collaboration sessions.

6. Simple Remote Management Options

Campus digital signage can be managed remotely, which means that the displays within a school can be managed even if the administrator is not able to physically access them. In fact, the administrator will not even need to be in the same building, and this means that signage at multiple schools could be managed from a single location.

A tool like myViewBoard Manager will allow all the digital display devices on a network to be managed through a dashboard. Aside from altering the content that is shown on the digital signage, this allows other aspects to be controlled, too, such as managing software, adjusting hardware settings, and accessing important data and performance metrics. It can also include scheduling content, creating playlists, managing multimedia broadcasting needs, saving device configurations, sending push notifications, and automating device power settings.  These management options are simple and can be set up quickly, easily, and remotely. In fact, the school’s IT admin can set up the classroom and the software prior to a class, so the teacher can focus on presenting the lesson instead of spending time working out technicalities.

7. Emergency and Celebratory Notifications

Finally, with digital signage for education, emergency information can be distributed quickly while achieving excellent reach. This is enhanced by the remote management options, which allow all digital signage within a school to be altered to display emergency information instantly. Such options can be especially important in situations where instructions need to be given for what students and teachers should do, or where they should go.

For example, in the event of a fire, aside from activating fire alarms and following standard procedures, specific information can be provided to teachers via digital signage, so they know where to go and — equally importantly — where not to go. With that being said, there are other situations where it may be beneficial to alter digital displays all at once and provide alert-style information to the entire school. This may even include situations where there is a cause to celebrate, such as on a birthday, if a school sports team achieves noteworthy success, or to pay respects to a teacher’s last day.

As educators are becoming more aware of the benefits of digital signage, all indications are that school digital signage is here to stay too. Through effective use of digital signage, schools can present important information throughout the campus in order to maximize reach. Adjustments to the content shown can be made at any time, and a network of digital display devices can be managed from a central location, allowing schools to fully embrace the flexibility provided, adopt a strategic approach to information dissemination and, when necessary, provide breaking news or emergency alerts.

For more information on digital signage for education environments, reach out to our team at Parmetech! We’re happy to help get you the information you need or set up a demo. Give us a call at (800) 727-6383, send us an email at info@parmetech.com, or connect with us online.