With classes jumping between online/offline and safety measures affecting the number of students in each classroom, COVID-19 has drastically altered the way schools and other educational establishments function.
Where there is physical class happening, digital signage can be an excellent tool to make the process as safe and efficient as possible. Here you’ll find some of the best features of digital signage which are perfect for this given context. It starts with the ability to deliver information on a schedule, then keeping everyone informed about the most recent news and updates, as well as passively boosting morale with its presence.
Tailor content to a specific time
Occurrences at any educational establishment are tightly connected to time of day. Digital signage software can ensure the right content is delivered at the right time. You can even set it up so specifically that it notifies anyone who might be arriving at school that class is in session and how much time is left until it ends.
For other uses, you may set up greeting messages at appropriate times. Bigger class breaks are great opportunities for positive and entertaining content to break the monotony of information. You may want to share individual student accomplishments, or staff milestone birthdays or work anniversaries. Where they could go unnoticed otherwise, these special moments are now celebrated! The time-based feature of digital signage is important to mention at the very beginning of this article, since all other features we’ll discuss can be tied to a particular part of the day.
COVID-19 rules and important notices
Distribute announcements and new changes to the school’s policies or any important legal changes through your digital signage network. A rotation of content can include the most recent news and updates regarding the pandemic, for instance. This is a great way to ensure every student, staff member, or visitor, is up to speed. It’s also perfect for emergency announcements.
New data is particularly important for new visitors who may be unfamiliar with information that’s common knowledge to students and staff. Of course, this use applies even outside the COVID-19 context. Oftentimes visitors are unsure where to go for more information, and digital signage can light their way while at the same time freeing the reception staff from too much face to face contact.
COVID-19 PSAs
Everyone is by now likely intimately familiar with social distancing and wearing masks. However, some locations take these precautions more seriously than others. As some places still have outdated banners which suggest wearing gloves at all times, people take them less seriously.
There are plenty of high quality PSAs on COVID-19 available to use immediately. You can choose to include static images, as well as video PSAs, or you can even opt to use online tools to make them yourself.
Wayfinding
A very common use for digital signage, wayfinding is an ideal solution in larger establishments and areas. College campuses and establishments of learning are perfect places for it. However, at a time such as this, they become even more important! They ensure everyone knows where to go and does not need to wander aimlessly. This limits unnecessary exposure.
Firstly, set up a digital display at key traffic points. Standard signage might be sufficient here if you only need a few labels which rarely change. But if the designations for certain classrooms change over time, for the purpose of accommodating multiple subjects or different student groups, digital signage can rotate these designations at a specific time throughout the day.
Secondly, if all your wayfinding data can’t fit on a single display without making it confusing, you may use interactivity. This allows any individual user to browse for their destination and get the data they need. For this, you may utilize touchscreens or QR codes and transform them into interactive kiosks.
Utilize other benefits of digital signage
While the pandemic indeed did make an impact on the way we operate day-to-day, sticking to the regular parts of our routine is also important. Not only for the purpose of efficiency, but for the purpose of morale, to ensure that we can operate normally and achieve our day-to-day tasks without worry. Thus, while the pandemic-related uses of digital signage are important, keep in mind other uses of digital signage in education..
- General information about exams, deadlines, and announcements
- Easy event advertising which, keeping COVID-19 in mind, may be relevant to online events
- Schedules connected to public transportation
- Latest local news which, again keeping COVID-19 in mind, could include pandemic-related updates
As you see, the ability of digital signage to tie all these uses to a specific time of day truly opens up a vast ocean of ideas. After a bit of brainstorming on which content you want and when, alongside a bit of tinkering with the digital signage software platform of your choice, you’ll establish a rich variety of content to put up on your digital displays. That’s the best way to ensure everyone notices them. Leaving “stale” and repetitive boring content on your displays will achieve the opposite effect. With a good digital signage platform, you can do the job easily. Start experimenting and tinkering immediately with OnSign TV for free for 14 days, no credit card required!
