Digital Signage purposes

[wesleyw]

Currently we are looking into setting up a digital signage system however the Head would like to know what it would be used for? I thought just general info about the day the week et cetera however this isn't enough pupils aren't allowed in the reception area and visitors usually get seen within a few minutes what justification could there be for an expense like this?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Wes

[plexer]

So if the head hasn't specified you look into this project who did?

 

If he can't see value in it then it's a dead duck?

 

Ben

[wesleyw]

The head and deputy wanted me to look into it however they feel we need to have a plan for it's use not just buy it then think of things to use it for (or not). If we can get a few ideas at least that's something to go on.

 

 

 

Wes

[tech_guy]

In a reception area it would have value as a 'meet and greet' facility. To have the names of your visitors on display and the organisations they represent looks very professional.

 

Also to have a slide show of publicity photographs and examples of students work and activities is very good as it allows visitors an insight.

 

We use a massive plasma in our reception to great effect.

 

We have our own 'tv station' and we create all sorts of content with staff and students.

Edited February 22, 2008 by tech_guy

[wesleyw]

What sort of content do you create? Mini newsletters things like that? Particularly good assemblies on video et cetera?

 

Wes

[Sylv3r]

We tend to have a standard welcome to..... at the start then it scrolls through student work, awards the school has received, school news, student work, it plays christmas songs when its christmas and we have in the past added footage of school productions etc.

[tech_guy]

We tend to have a standard welcome to..... at the start then it scrolls through student work, awards the school has received, school news, student work, it plays christmas songs when its christmas and we have in the past added footage of school productions etc.

 

Yup, that's the sort of thing we do. We even show News 24 and Classic FM TV.

[Sylv3r]

Yup, that's the sort of thing we do. We even show News 24 and Classic FM TV.

 

Sky Sports News, News24, Music Channels are shown on our plasma screens in the dining hall at lunchtimes.

 

Using a different channel each day.

[srochford]

pupils aren't allowed in the reception area

 

I know that's not your decision but I think that speaks (bad!) volumes about a school!

 

I used to work at a school where pupils were banned from using certain areas so that visitors wouldn't see them and I think it's a desperately bad reflection on the school if it's not prepared to let visitors see the pupils!

[localzuk]

We display welcome messages to any guests, the list of clubs for that day and the next, the list of events going on and any changes to their schedules - for example, if a bus is late bringing kids back to school after a match it will be put on here so the parents can see it.

[wesleyw]

It's not there to stop them coming through they just aren't allowed to linger in the reception, the school I work at you wouldn't notice if they were there very well behaved for the most part it would just get very crowded otherwise.

 

Wes

[sahmeepee]

It's not there to stop them coming through they just aren't allowed to linger in the reception, the school I work at you wouldn't notice if they were there very well behaved for the most part it would just get very crowded otherwise.

 

Our place is just the same. Every so often, someone moots the idea of digital signage, it gets written into the school's development plan and an edict comes down from on high to "get some quotes".

 

When asked where they want the screens they don't know (reception is tiny)

When asked how many screens they want they don't know (unless "between 1 and 10" counts as an answer)

When asked what they want to show on the screens they don't know.

When asked who will be producing the content/updating them....

 

Presumably video conferencing doesn't have enough wow-factor nowadays and we need a new white elephant to sink good money into. Each time I dutifully prepare quotes and estimate the cost of providing power and data to random locations in our cramped rabbit-warren of a building and nothing ever comes of it. The topic has come up about 5 times now and sadly it's about due for another airing.

 

A friend in a nearby school has had the same problem. They all sat down for a meeting about the idea. Weighed up all the pros and cons. Decided there were far more cons than pros. Then at the end of the meeting the head uhm and ahhd and said he still quite liked the idea! Argh.

 

If you need an easy device to use as a reference price, try the Samsung 400PXN and 460PXN models. 40/46 inch LCD screens with built-in ethernet, flash memory and onboard windows to handle all the processing of different filetypes. Not too expensive and means you can send data to them over a switched ethernet infrastructure instead of using CAT5 as analogue cable like most of the solutions out there.

 

[dbrown]

I'm not sure what digital signage is, but I suppose it achieves the same purpose as our large VDU.

We display mainly PhotoStories made from school trips, pupils' work, activities in school - sports, special assemblies, performances - and themed presentations that teachers have made for use in lessons.

These are occasional displays and are very popular: teachers often bring their classes to watch them.

Most of the time it is not in use. Several reasons: the head thinks it has more impact that way; work involved in generating new displays; not easy to set up (qv.)

 

I wasn't here when it was installed, but I'd be surprised if there was any discussion or thought about what it would be used for!

 

I gather real digital signage works over "switched ethernet" or "cat 5 as analogue..", but ours is simply a vdu. So I need to attach a computer via a VDU cable. The mistake we made (imo) was to have the socket installed in the head's office. He really does have a literally open door policy, but even so it is not always possible to get in to set up a computer just when you need to (meetings, confidential interviews, etc). If the socket were in the general office, the staff room, or even the boiler room, it would be easier.

 

Don.

[Oops_my_bad]

Exactly..another pie in the sky idea and a scandalous waste of taxpayers money :mad:

[localzuk]

Exactly..another pie in the sky idea and a scandalous waste of taxpayers money :mad:

 

Not really. If the screens are positioned in places where they can fulfil the same purpose as a noticeboard, but with less mess and easier access to find information via.

[torledo]

Exactly..another pie in the sky idea and a scandalous waste of taxpayers money :mad:

 

i think if you can't develop interesting, eye-catching content and displays for the system then it is a waste of money, but when used correctly it is reasonably effective in foyer areas....although i think it's more important to actually see people within a few minutes of them arriving instead of a doctors waiting room situation where you need a TV for them to stare at instead of their watches while they wait to be attended to.

 

same is true for video conferencing, if used correctly it's a smart investment, unfortunately the vision and drive isn't there to enable proper use therefore they become 'white elephants'.

[BeaverGroup]

I agree with Torledo. The key factors with avoiding a 'white elephant', is location and content. Having a screen in an area where no one is going to see it, makes it useless. And having content that is either dull or irrelevant, again makes it useless.

 

The benefits of having a content rich, well located screen are many though.

 

It can be possible to show off not only the pupils' work and latest news about the school, but also real-time information. By linking into existing RSS feeds, a screen (or number of screens) can show information from a number of sources.

 

I'm thinking here of government initiatives, local council news, academic results (assuming these are stored on a PC somewhere).

[alan-d]

We have 2 at the mo and plan to expand the system. We show:

 

Photos/movies showing students achievements, external trips.

Information on Clubs and support groups

Exam Timetables

News via RSS, BBC news, Science news etc. (Also TV in specific locations)

School News

Welcome to visitors

Special displays for after school activities such as open evenings, concerts etc.

Urgent messages for whole school or individuals.

We can even show exit signs where appropriate.

 

The hardest part is actually getting the staff to give you the material to go on it. It took us a while but some staff here are now regular contributers.

[Pyroman]

I'm not sure what digital signage is, but I suppose it achieves the same purpose as our large VDU.

We display mainly PhotoStories made from school trips, pupils' work, activities in school - sports, special assemblies, performances - and themed presentations that teachers have made for use in lessons.

These are occasional displays and are very popular: teachers often bring their classes to watch them.

Most of the time it is not in use. Several reasons: the head thinks it has more impact that way; work involved in generating new displays; not easy to set up (qv.)

 

I wasn't here when it was installed, but I'd be surprised if there was any discussion or thought about what it would be used for!

 

I gather real digital signage works over "switched ethernet" or "cat 5 as analogue..", but ours is simply a vdu. So I need to attach a computer via a VDU cable. The mistake we made (imo) was to have the socket installed in the head's office. He really does have a literally open door policy, but even so it is not always possible to get in to set up a computer just when you need to (meetings, confidential interviews, etc). If the socket were in the general office, the staff room, or even the boiler room, it would be easier.

 

Don.

 

Could you not put tight VNC or similar on it and use a remote viewing client?(Lanview 3 by MST software is a great totally free utility we use - Google it)

 

That would get around the problem of not being able to access the physical computer.

 

Just a thought

[Domino]

If you use sharepoint for your intranet you'll find that most will be able to get the daily messages from that via an rss feed and display it on the screen.