In the course of only a couple of decades, the role of technology in education has radically changed. Gone are the days of going to the library and signing up to use the computer. By 2015, 94% of children in America between the ages of 3 and 18 had a computer at home. But computer usage has also spread to schools, with 9 out of 10 schools reporting that they use computers in the classroom, and this doesn’t count smartphone usage.
Given the proliferation of screens, do digital signage solutions really have anything new or innovative to bring to the table? This blog post will try to provide you with some compelling reasons why digital displays deserve a place at the educational table.
Develop a Digital Bulletin Board
Sometimes in a school, it can feel like you are trying to herd cats to get everyone where they need to be on time. One solution to address this to build a digital bulletin board. Need to move a class to another room or cancel a seminar, a digital bulletin board ensures that everyone gets the information they need without being obtrusive. No need to send out an email and clutter up everyone’s inbox even further.
The other option is to print out the information on flyers and post them throughout the school in places where you hope that people will see them. However, this option is resource and time-intensive.
Digital Signage allows you to take all of the best elements of a bulletin board and transform it into something more modern and fresh. It also allows you to develop all of your content in one centralized location. Which helps to ensure that the content is exactly how you want without any surprises.
Another great feature is that you have control over the content which means that you can refresh and change the content with just a couple of clicks. But the different ways that digital signage systems can be used in schools doesn’t end there.
Provide Emergency Information
An emergency can happen at any time and it is critical in a school setting that everyone is prepared and knows what to do. A digital signage network can serve as an important support tool for your emergency preparedness plan. In the event of an emergency which requires individuals to route to a specific location, the digital signs can automatically display information on where to go. Additionally, these features can be incorporated into drills, so that in the event of an actual emergency, everyone is prepared.
Additionally, you can incorporate emergency information into your regular content. For example, it might be a good idea to remind people where emergency equipment is located, for example, fire extinguishers and defibrillators. Research shows that there is a 47% recall rate of digital videos. So, use this to your advantage, by incorporating important information into your regular playlists.
Spread the News
Most schools have a lot of events going on at any given time and it can be difficult to try and keep track of everything. This another area where school digital signage can be helpful in spreading the news about the latest happenings. Here are just some of the ways that you can bring fresh content to your screens:
- Share the latest headlines from the school newspaper. You can even set up a screen outside of where the newspaper meets that is interactive and lets users click through and read articles that interest them.
- Make sure that everyone knows when upcoming events are going to be held. Advertising the school play a couple of weeks before it begins helps to increase attendance and remind everyone of the various extracurricular activities which are available.
- Set up a daily cafeteria page that has all of the day’s specials. It can also include important allergy and ingredient information, so students can make an informed choice about what they want for lunch.
Give Everyone a Voice
One of the biggest misconceptions about digital displays is that they are a passive way to share content and information. Depending on the company that you use for your digital signage software there are lots of ways to make the content fun and engaging.
For example, at viewneo we offer a wide variety of different Plugins that offer additional features and functionality options. You only pay for the options that you use. One of the options which can help you design interesting and engaging content is the viewneo Touch Elements Plugin. It allows you to design interactive content, such as surveys and options to provide feedback.
Digital Signage as a Teaching Tool
While it is entirely possible to have your digital display system centralized and controlled by staff and administration, schools are all about learning, so why not use your digital bulletin board as a teaching tool. Depending on the type of school environment, there are a variety of different ways you can create digital signage content:
- Allow students to develop their own content. This can be in conjunction with different school groups. Or you can have a group be responsible for gathering all of the information and putting it together. This allows the students to have some input into the process and learn how to use the computer systems associated with the digital bulletin board.
- Have a contest amongst the students to have them create a design format for the school. This can be based on the school colors or mascot, etc.
- Finally, research has shown that once students participate in a digital signage project, they tend to view the experience as positive and are more likely to want to participate again in the future.
