More and more universities are taking notice of digital signage as a solution for their campus-wide communication needs. With a plethora of uses for digital signage out there—and more coming along each day—it’s no wonder that universities are turning toward it en masse.
We’ve curated a few of the most interesting and innovative applications of digital signage in the higher education world. Read on to find out more about how to maximize the effectiveness of your university’s digital signage solution.
DYNAMIC CAMPUS-WIDE MESSAGING
University campuses are nearly self-contained ecosystems with a massive and diverse population. It’s never easy when it comes to communicating with so many students from so many backgrounds, but digital signage is a viable solution. Digital signage can be used to display dynamic messages across the entire campus (or even used department-by-department for micro-messaging).
Some campuses have already implemented digital signage in a piecemeal fashion, with each department adopting their own digital display solution—and with some adopting none at all. This makes it impossible for campuses to take advantage of the perks of using a unified digital display solution across the entire campus. These perks include streamlined information delivery and a reduced overall cost.
So what types of messaging can be used? Campus-wide alerts, including emergency messaging, campus closures, and other relevant and timely messages are an obvious choice. Some colleges and departments choose to include campus news in their digital signage messaging. Displaying RSS feeds that feature college and departmental blogs is another logical choice. The possibilities of what to display and how to display are virtually endless when universities choose a unified, robust digital signage solution such as RocketScreens.
CAMPUS DIRECTORIES AND MAPS
Displaying maps and directories is a popular choice across all industries that implement digital signage solutions, and universities are no exception. University campuses can be sprawling and intimidating, especially to newly-arrived freshmen and visitors. Strategically placing interactive directories and maps across the campus makes it easier for people unfamiliar with the layout to navigate it.
Each department can also use digital signage to display departmental directories in their lobbies, hallways, and other common areas, making it easier for students to find their classrooms and their professors’ offices on time. Office hours, contact information, and other pertinent information can also be displayed, making it easy to know the best time to visit a professor or staff member.
CAFETERIA SOLUTION
Menu boards are a major application of digital signage. Fast-food joints, eat-in restaurants, and even university cafeterias can make the most of their menu space by applying their digital signage solution as a digital menu board. Smart digital signage solutions like RocketScreens allow users to make easy and frequent edits to their displayed information—perfect for cafeterias that update their offerings every day.
Smaller digital signs can be used to display nutritional information in the cafeteria, making it easier for students and staff to make more educated dietary choices. Any important information, such as an allergen list, could also be displayed.
EVENT CALENDARS
There’s a lot going on at any given time on a university campus. Digital signage helps you make the most of your campus event calendar by turning it into a dynamic display across the entire campus at the touch of a button. Sporting events, concerts, breaks and planned closures, and midterm and finals information can all be displayed in one centralized location, making it easy for students to access when they need it.
EXAM STRESS RELIEF
Digital signage doesn’t just have to be serious. Colleges and universities have used digital signage as “infotainment,” with scrolling social media feeds on trending hashtags and news, photos from university events, and even embedded videos of dogs and cats cuddling for exam-time stress relief. Common areas are an excellent place to display information as entertainment for students under the mounting pressure of exam stress.
CONCLUSION
There are a lot of ways to use digital signage to communicate with students and staff at universities big and small. Whether it’s through dynamic emergency messaging or a GIF of a hamster eating a sunflower seed, getting the message across is important, and digital signage helps you do it.
University staff wear a lot of different hats all at the same time. Shouldn’t your digital signage solution do the same? Consider RocketScreens, a dynamic digital signage solution for innovative educators and dedicated administrators.
