Digital signage delivers on campus: affordable wide-screen digital signs are finding multiple uses on campuses, and may even generate revenue

University Business, Oct, 2004 by Jean Marie Angelo

"We make loops with no more than 15 minutes of content," explains Whiteleather.

Another large screen inside the store, which is actually a video wall made up of four small screens placed together, promotes book titles. Presentations might run biographies of Cornell faculty members who have authored books, and provide historical facts about the university.

TECHNOLOGY PLAZA

The University of Central Arkansas created its own "technology plaza" to showcase its digital sign, which measures 13 feet wide and 9 feet high. Completed at the beginning of 2004, technology plaza is meant to be a co-curricular area: an outdoor classroom, an open-air movie arena, and information center.

The digital display, a Daktronics LED model, is simply known on campus as the "jumbo screen," explains Ronald Toll, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, a key force in building the plaza and bringing the display hardware and software to campus.

"This vision was driven by academics," he says. The screen is viewed as a tool to improve teaching and learning. At times the screen is used as an interactive whiteboard, displaying academic presentations as part of a class. On warm nights, students gather to watch movies. And thanks to a TV feed, at least 200 administrators could gather together this past summer to watch CNN's coverage of President Ronald Reagan's funeral.

"We can change the message instantly. It is a great advantage over standard signage," adds Toll

Benches in the plaza will comfortably seat 80, but more viewers can stand on the balconies of other academic buildings and easily see the screen.

Toll also wants the jumbo screen to have commercial applications. To date, the new screen has only been used to promote campus events and groups, but he plans to sell advertising messages. Toll expects local retailers and pizza shops will want to place their messages in front of UCA's 10,000 students who walk through campus. National retailers and tourism companies could be potential advertisers as well, he adds.

Toll is breaking new ground on advertising. "To the best of our knowledge, there isn't a model out there that suggests what 15 seconds of advertising are worth on this screen," he says. Still, Toll and the UCA staff intend to find out. The university would like to bring in $100,000 in annual advertising revenue to offset the costs of purchasing and running the jumbo screen.

In total, UCA spent $240,000 to install the digital sign and purchase the Windows-compatible software that controls the messaging. As for managing the screen, an existing technical support staffer was asked to take on the additional duties of scheduling messaging and scheduling the screen. Although the screen is technically part of Toll's science and mathematics' department, other departments and extracurricular groups are encouraged to use it. The department has provided training to faculty and students. To date, 40 percent of UCA's faculty has been trained to use the jumbo screen.

The jumbo screen is an example of Toll's overall vision for education. "Teaching and learning take place everywhere," he says. The screen provides a tool that brings education to the outdoors. Toll, who is helping in the effort to make UCA a completely wireless campus, envisions a constant flow of information from the classroom, to technology plaza, to a student's laptop. "We want to empower faculty to create better outcomes."