In an educational institution, information is a valuable resource that should circulate, rapidly, efficiently and to the right people. Whether it be to broadcast class schedules of rooms or professors, cafeteria menu’s, key information about school life, student and/or sporting associations, to explain formalities, to show places or meeting hours, to guide the visitors or to boost the prestige of the school, in short, every establishment has communication needs.
A digital signage solution allows you to dynamise, accelerate and simply this communication, by placing a new communication channel at the disposal of the administrative, professorial and student part of the institution, that is at the same time innovative, simple, and wonderfully efficient. Here are some advantages of such a system and the 10 reasons why each institution needs connected screens, sooner rather than later.
Digital signage is a communication tool that allows you to broadcast multimedia content, from afar and in real time, on a network of connected screens in public places. For more information go to the article Understanding digital signage.
1. Informing instantly
A digital signage solution allows you to communicate on screens, rapidly. In a couple clicks from any pc, tablet or phone, it’s possible to add, create or modify content and to send it to the screens instantly. Absences of professors can be directly shown, thus limiting the trouble. The changes of classrooms can also be indicated, close to the affected places.
2. Attracting attention
Digital signage allows you to broadcast on display screens in the form of animated multimedia content or video. These animated messages are the best way to attract and keep the attention of the students. The broadcasted messages, coloured and animated, are more memorable than a simple poster, and will more easily convey the information. The students are also more receptive to information broadcasted on digital supports, with which they are familiar, since the majority of their entertainment sources are on-screen.
3. Interacting with the students
A digital signage solution offers the possibility of reinforcing the bond with the students by integrating social content in to your broadcasts, through the social networks of the school. The posts are synchronized and the communication becomes homogenous. The students, often actors on these networks and very positive towards content stemming from them get engaged more easily in campus life. They more easily take part in meetings and organized events. It is also possible to create polls, in which the people in front of the screen can participate, and show the results of these polls, in real time. This not only engages the students, but enables the institution to collect precious opinions, useful for the improvement of the daily life of everyone.
(Realisation in collaboration with our partner Axible) 4. Gaining room
The usage of screens for signage, dynamizes communication increases the attractiveness of the broadcasted messages, and reduces the amount of messages generally clustered on walls or signage spots.By concentrating the information messages on a screen and making them follow each other, a considerable amount of place is gained, and a larger quantity of information can be broadcasted. Moreover, shown in a better light by the screen, each message gains in impact and reach. The displays can also redirect to other more complete sources of information if so wished by the user, for example through a QRcode.
5. Gaining time
The usage of a system of digital signage allows you to automate recurring messages, like student agenda’s, professor agenda’s, classrooms or the cafeteria menu, by integrating the system calendar. In this way, in the case hour or date modification, the signage is updated, instantly and without human intervention. Once the planning is in the management interface, there’s nothing more to do, and the system does everything by itself. Moreover, the system will only broadcast up to date information and will deactivate obsolete messages once their date is passed. It’s the end of old posters that hang around for weeks before someone takes them down!
6. Reducing the impression of waiting
Whatever establishment you’re in, there are always places that are more visited than others at certain times and thus generate queues. A great fear for students and professors alike, they are, however, excellent places for digital signage screens. The public is more receptive to broadcasted information. It is thus an excellent opportunity to distract it, all while informing. Menus, week planning, institutional news, quizzes, educational games or polls… There are no limits and the format of the content can be more complete (if the time in front of the screen is longer). Lastly, the screens located at waiting areas, also contribute to reducing the sensation of waiting and are thus generally welcomed.
7. Reinforcing internal cohesion
A digital signage system allows you to manage content in a collaborative way. It then becomes possible to concede broadcast time to different actors that animate the life of the establishment (administrative staff, professors and students…). They could then use the screens to send out personal messages, or messages that are of interest to everyone, to communicate on association life, on their work, their creations, ask for advice or simply express their creativity. Beyond reinforcing the connection between the different actors and the institution, this practice also enables you to create new synergies and give birth to projects, that seemed impossible before. The participation of the administrative staff of the school in these practices also allows to humanise it, and to reinforce its closeness to the students. The quality of the human relations will be substantially improved, as well as campus life.
8. Raise awareness in your audience
By conceding a part of the broadcast to messages about humanitarian, ecological, environmental or charity causes, you can efficiently sensitize the students to societal problems from which they might otherwise feel disconnected. Concerning the students in the protection of the environment and warning them about risks connected to the wasting of resources is for example doable by broadcasting the real time electricity consumption of the building.
(Realisation in collaboration with our partner ubigreen) 9. Creating a sharing culture
It is also possible to share communications between multiple schools (of one group for example). By mutualising the screens or by inter-changing the content between different sites, the exchanges between students will be simplified and favoured. New bonds, new dynamics can start to evolve, giving the students access to a new universe… beyond the bounds of the institution. These inter-school corridors can lead to more prodigious rapprochements and create large collaborative educational projects.
10. Welcoming your visitors
Placed in reception halls or in the corridors of the institution, screens equipped with a digital signage solution allow you to welcome and guide the visitors. In this way they can be precisely steered towards their meeting spot for reunions or exams. The signage can also show news, new services or used to discover new horizons, with images or video. The students can then by invited to look at other communication solutions more adapted to deepening the services, information, or presented notions. Lastly, by integrating the communication elements of the establishment, the screens augment their reach and reinforce the institution’s identity.
Numerous applications are possible for educational institutions, to inform, welcome or educate the students, and all this is done easily. Digital signage is a powerful tool, based on digital support, and easily integrated in to the daily life of students or school children who use the hardware constantly. Accustomed to finding screens and looking at the content, they are very receptive to the broadcasted messages. Which makes this tool a new weapon for the staff, in order to teach better, and more efficiently...
Contact us and let’s build your project together, for the good of the students.
