Digital Signage Case Study: Chase Secondary School

by all | 5 February 2013 8:30 am

By Katie Allodi
Digital signage is not merely a commercial medium. It is also being used in educational facilities, where it is intended to help faculty better engage students, apply modern learning principles and reflect the changing world of technology.

In early 2011, for example, administrators for Chase Secondary School in Chase, B.C., realized they needed to support their teachers and students with more reliable, user-friendly display technology in the classroom, including new monitors and projectors. At the time, many of the school’s teachers were still using outdated overhead projectors, chalkboards, whiteboards, videocassette players and cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and TVs. There were also three digital projectors, but teachers had to sign these out to use with their classes.

Winning a makeover
Chase Secondary’s administrators learned about a $25,000 ‘makeover’ contest through the NEC Star Student program for school districts. Mark Wereley, one of the teachers who specialized in multimedia technology, decided to submit an entry on behalf of the school.

The contest called for video submissions. Wereley worked with his students to incorporate their input and creative ideas into a video that could win the makeover. Inspired by this input and TV commercials, he wrote a brief script that would showcase the school’s needs in a creative, humorous way.

“Instead of showing our meagre facilities and equipment,” he explains, “I used ‘frustrated’ students to communicate their plight of being stuck with outdated whiteboards and overhead projectors in the 21^st century. From there, I spoke about what could be done to enhance the school. It seemed to me this method was creative, conveyed a message and met the requirements of the contest.”

Wereley then solicited further help from his students to record, edit and submit the video entry. When it outlasted hundreds of entries from other educational institutions and was named a top-five finalist, Chase Secondary’s administrators jumped at the opportunity to use the school’s website and newsletters to encourage staff, students and their parents to vote and show their support.

The school was officially named the grand-prize winner in April 2011, having received the most votes of any of the top five finalists.

Planning deployment
With $25,000 worth of technology available, Wereley sat down with his multimedia team to come up with a new plan for Chase Secondary.

“After winning the contest, we knew we wanted a good-quality product that would last us a long time,” he says, “so we met with our sales rep, who suggested new liquid crystal display (LCD) desktop monitors and wide-screen short-throw projectors for our classrooms.”

In July 2011, the school ordered 12 of the projectors and 56 of the 483-mm (19-in.) desktop LCDs, along with a 1-m (42-in.) LCD and various accessories. Wereley’s team worked with the school district’s technology department to set up the devices. The deployment was completed in January 2012.

Of the 12 short-throw, wide-format projectors, 10 were installed in classrooms—most with ceiling mounts—where they could use existing whiteboards as their projection surfaces. Another was installed in the school’s computer lab, which is regularly booked by teachers for computer-related courses. And the last one was installed on a portable cart with a sound system, so it can be taken to other classrooms that were not able to get projectors installed.

“The projectors offer an excellent brightness level, at 3,000 lumens,” says Wereley. “They give our faculty the ability to view a lot of information on one screen, due to their wide-format resolution.”

The desktop LCDs were installed not only in the classrooms, but also in the computer lab, replacing old CRT monitors that were bulky and took up too much space. The new screens allow students to better access content through the Internet, while freeing up some space on desks for their work.

The 1-m (42-in.) LCD, meanwhile, was installed at the school’s front entrance, next to the main office. This display is used as digital signage to announce upcoming events and to showcase students’ work for the whole school.

With the contest’s prize money, Chase Secondary was also able to purchase two extra-large projector screens. These were installed in the gym and the band room to allow special presentations to address the entire school population. During graduation ceremonies, for example, student-produced slideshows can be shown to a large audience.

Using the technology
Both the projectors and the LCDs are now being used to enhance the learning experience in the classrooms, as they allow teachers to easily view websites, presentations and videos related to their lectures and the students’ assignments. Wereley believes the students take great pride in the fact their small school won the top prize in the contest.

“Our students have appreciated that we, as their teachers, are able to access relevant, current and interesting material from the Internet without having to fight for a projector from the library,” he says. “When talking about poetry and music, for example, I can immediately access relevant artists’ videos uploaded on YouTube. The students can then discuss an artist’s use of poetic devices heard through a song. In these ways, the projectors enable me to enhance my students’ learning and encourage their interest in a particular lesson with relatable material.”

In another example, Darren Seibel developed an animation course for the school based on the new technology in the computer lab. After he teaches this class, the work his students create is displayed on the large LCD.

Elsewhere, Seibel has used a tablet personal computer (PS) in conjunction with the new projectors to display math concepts and move geometric objects around during a class to help students understand their coursework.

“This technology has engaged our students and provided a more up-to-date method of teaching,” says Phil Arkinstall, another teacher at the school. “Like Mark, I have used a projector to enhance lessons by integrating video clips from the Internet into my plans. My students are more interested during the day and, therefore, are gaining more knowledge.”

Wereley says the students appreciate the greater variety of ways their teachers can now present information to them. In fact, the changes have led to stronger participation in class and improved grades.

They also set the stage for the further adoption of multimedia technologies.

“In the near future, I’d like to try accessing a live or recorded lecture on a topic of interest to my students,” Wereley says, “or perhaps hold a video conference with another classroom from a different school or even in a different country, to gain perspective in each lesson.”

Katie Allodi is a marketing specialist for NEC Display Solutions. For more information, visit www.necdisplay.com[4].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/case-study-chase-secondary-school/

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