Page 84 - Security Today, April 2022

“In order to open their doors and welcome students and faculty, educational institutions will need to follow health guidelines and be able to communicate information effectively...”
By Victoria Sanville
Digital Signage in the New Normal
Digital Signage
MONOPOLY919/Shutterstock.com
40 campuslifesecurity.com | MARCH/APRIL 2022
A new genre of health protocol display solutions can help navigate this new normal and offer future functionality
As colleges and K-12 schools plan for classes this fall — online, in classrooms, or a hybrid of both — those that opt for in-person instruc- tion will need to deliver it safely, ever-mind- ful of the coronavirus that’s still present.
Effective Communications
In order to open their doors and welcome students and faculty safely, educational insti- tutions will need to follow health guidelines and be able to communicate information effectively, whether it’s to observe social dis- tancing practices, monitor and report the number of people occupying a room, or pub- lish staggered class schedules to minimize potential exposures. Digital display technol- ogy can play an important role.
During the best of times, display technol- ogy—in the form of digital signage, video display kiosks and interactive wayfinding systems—is critical to informing and engag- ing people as they navigate public and pri- vate spaces. It can take on new importance now as schools across the country prepare to
operate safely during the pandemic.
Visual communication is persistent and self- reinforcing. Especially in K-12 schools, con- tinual visual messaging (supported by creative, compelling digital content) plays an important role in promoting healthy habits that will serve schools well even when the current pandemic subsides, practices such as washing hands or
staying home when students feel sick.
At a time when circumstances evolve quickly and up-to-date information is criti- cal, digital signage, which can be changed at a moment’s notice, gives school administra- tors the tools they need to keep students and
staff informed.
Technology providers have started to
develop a new category of turnkey digital health safety protocol solutions that combine video displays with software, sensors and more. But they are not necessarily one-trick ponies. At their core, these solutions include the kind of digital signage technology that supports visual communication in retail, hospitality, corporate and—increasingly— education applications.
After helping schools confront the chal-
lenges posed by the pandemic, these health safety protocol solutions can be redeployed for other ongoing communication initiatives, from mass security notifications to informa- tion about school events.
The new class of health protocol display solutions available to higher education and K-12 school districts range from wellness kiosks to reconfigurable solutions to occu- pancy management systems and more.
Wellness Kiosks
For staff, students and parents entering a school, campus building or other educational facility, many institutions will choose to screen individuals for possible infection. New all-in-one wellness kiosks are easy to set up at key entry points and don’t require staff to constantly monitor their operation. They include a vertically-oriented smart display with a built-in operating system for process- ing and presenting information, as well as an integrated thermal scanner for quickly and accurately taking people’s temperature.
Multipurpose wellness kiosks not only take temperature readings, they can show