Schools and colleges fulfill many indispensable purposes in our society and community. Apart from educating their students, they are also responsible for building a safe and connected community of students, parents, and teachers. They are an integral part of our society, and digital signage is continually helping them spread awareness in a grand yet consistent manner. They inform students, educate students, spread awareness among the students and teachers, and keep the surrounding community updated with the latest local goings-on.
Digital displays are the most versatile platforms you have seen so far
Thankfully, the advent of technology has allowed the adoption of standard LED, LCD and plasma screens as a part of the digital signage systems. Off late, digital display systems have become quite affordable for small businesses, public schools, funded educational institutions and big corporations alike. We have seen a surge of digital screens at educational institutions and hospitality alike. Earlier when digital screens were becoming popular, educational institutions including K-12 schools, colleges and universities could not think of keeping their campuses lit by digital displays. They were the wealthy corporations’ fancy. Right now, the same institutions and schools are using the screens for multiple purposes.
- Post-school announcements about club memberships and registration at school events
- Urgent sharing of emergency messages (broadcasters have better chances of reaching the target audience using audio-visuals than traditional announcements using loudspeakers, flyers, and notices)
- Registration systems for school events including intra-school quizzes, inter-school competitions, and sports.
- The inclusion of a map of the school, school grounds, dorms and everything else inside the campus for new students
Digital signage for schools and colleges is bridging the gap between the authorities and the students. We have also seen schools and colleges display messages for parents in the drop-off zones and parking lots. Display of infotainment or a live relay of game scores from the field is also not uncommon for many schools and colleges in the country. Digital signage is like the glue that holds the school or college community together.
- Saves energy, cuts cost, informs and educates
K-12 schools and higher educational institutions are engaging digital displays for the sole purpose of educating and informing as well. Apart from broadcasting local news and advertisement, these schools and colleges are publicizing educational programs, special subject oriented films and inspirational lectures to help their students perform better. It is cutting the cost of education. Most of the LED and plasma displays use up less energy. AV classes encourage students to learn in class and inspire them to buy fewer books. Just precise notes and prints of specific presentations serve as the lesson material. In a way, the digital display is changing the face of education for many well-known educational institutions across the nation.
- It is digital marketing with remote control
The software that runs the display content works remotely. Therefore, a teacher or a professor can monitor the performance of the display signage while making recent updates to the content in real-time. The backend of the software is secure and only people with the right authentication details can gain access to the content. Many such supportive software programs come with complementary apps for the students, who can interact with the content but only up to a certain level. The front end users are unable to make changes to the content altogether. As you can understand, no matter the purpose of digital signage, the right software can provide centralized control to the user.
- Agility keeps digital displays interesting
Aside from the highly tensile security, the frameworks of the digital displays are flexible beyond imagination. The same screen that is displaying a list of Nobel Laureates can also display the current hot menu of the cafeteria. Switching content is as easy as flipping the channel with remote control via the digital display software. In many cases, authorities prefer using WordPress like CMS platforms to curate their digital files and data. They can just store the content in the form of video files or a slideshow of HD image files. Selecting one after another can allow the broadcasters to switch content throughout the day. Several platforms including WordPress have the facility to queue (pre-scheduled) programs for an entire day. Using digital signage to broadcast regular updates about school events, lectures, seminars, shows and PTAs often frees up vital resources.
- Special messages for special events
Most educational institutions love the flair these HD display boards bring to their campuses. Not only do they keep the entire community in the same frequency, but it also brightens up the campus on special days. These digital signage systems are infallible when the time comes to welcome the donors, alumni, event chairpersons and supervisors to the school grounds. Special welcome ceremonies are incomplete without a grand welcome message on an HD plasma or LED screen.
- It is an extensible system
Most interestingly, that is not all. Your digital signage can do more if you want it to do more. Using a few extensions, you can update the displays to relay current news feed from reliable sources. You can pool interesting Tweets from the nation’s policymakers, display weather updates from the web, share YouTube content on the most debated international policies or the most recent scientific discoveries.
- It is surely time to go digital
The entry of digital signage into the foray of education has broken the boundary between information technology and our current education system. It is a brilliant way to keep the students smart, aware and informed while they are on the move. Studies show that school and college canteens with dedicated news/update display systems have many students who are updated on the latest political agendas, global concerns, and local news.
Author bio: Karen is a Business Tech Analyst. She is very responsible towards her job. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with her friends and colleagues.