Written by De’Arno De’Arnold and Neil Terry

West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is a public institution with a regional mission located in the Texas Panhandle and an enrollment of approximately 8,000 students. The technology infrastructure at the institution rivals that of even larger institutions, including a statewide network consortium and system-wide redundant Internet connectivity through a partnership with the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

The recent adoption and use of digital media systems (DMS) in higher education has been well documented. Adapted from retail, hospitality, and other vertical markets, today’s DMS do a fantastic job of targeted zonal communication. Advancements in graphical user interfaces accompanying DMS have allowed non-technical individuals to become involved in the development and distribution of information. In most cases, however, there still exists a steep learning curve to overcome, especially for non-technical individuals, in order to utilize the DMS in an efficient and effective manner. Currently, the DMS landscape is limited to mostly a push information environment. This push environment may serve its purpose well for most environments but struggles to find success at higher education institutions.

Challenges

If the general consensus in higher education holds true, then the student who becomes engaged with his or her college should display higher recruitment and retention rates. As competition in higher education has increased in recent years, colleges need to be proactive in their marketing efforts to attract and retain students. This raises the question, what can be done to enhance the environment to create an avenue of student engagement? What tools might exist to provide an opportunity for individuals to interact and engage? Further, what methods might be deployed to increase college brand awareness and decrease potential filtering of the DMS content, in an effort to attract and or retain students?

Solutions

The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Every building on the WTAMU campus received multiple digital displays as part of the initial effort, which included a minimum of three screens in the mathematics area to a maximum of more than 20 screens in the College of Business. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty. The challenge was learning more about the systems, how they perform, what they can do, and what they cannot do. From the CIO to IT staff and faculty members, engagement and training were critical to success.

The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty.

However, concerns remained in the College of Business that students were not actively engaging the informational zones, and therefore, could potentially filter the messages over time, thus, limiting information recall and reducing effectiveness. This could impact recruitment, retention and branding opportunities. Solutions to these challenges centered on four main pillars: Branding, Zonal Flow, Engagement and Recruitment and Retention efforts.

Branding

The WTAMU College of Business (COB) encompasses the second of four floors in the Classroom Center complex. Twenty-two 42-inch displays are mounted throughout the COB. Two 55-inch monitors with news and weather information are also part of the environment. An additional four 42-inch, touch-screen monitors are deployed beneath a 26-foot, full-color LED ticker. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many of the displays are offset with Plexiglas cane detection barriers that also serve to brand the network and display the COB logo. Content creators receive COB-branded templates for message and brand consistency.

Zonal Flow

Informational zones have been created in strategic areas of high student traffic. For example, near the elevators, there are two monitors side-by-side. One monitor displays mission critical information such as faculty directories, classroom information, etc., and the other may be pushing business market information, or weather information. This zone is nicely appointed with leather couches, tables, charging stations and Wi-Fi in effort to create a “stick-point.”

Other zones in the hallway are created with the merging of three separate DMS units, one displaying the mission critical information, one dedicated to in-house designed COB trivia, and the other replicating business market information. Where possible, each DMS zone is completed with either seating areas or bistro tables to optimize a comfortable student environment to increase effective message recall and enhance student retention. It is not uncommon to see dozens of students congregating in the different zones on a daily basis.

Engagement and Recruitment

An additional effort to actively engage and further create a synchronous pull informational environment is the deployment and utilization of an interactive display and an LED ticker. Four monitors work to create an interactive market wall in perfect location and harmony with the ticker, a moving, larger-than-life LED ribbon, which attracts students in one of the highest traffic areas on campus. Students from all disciplines are often seen watching the ticker, which displays market, news, and sports information.

Once the ticket attracts the individual, the natural flow is to engage the interactive market board. The individual has the option to touch the board and interact with news, market, and other pertinent information. This combination of interactivity, color, and real time information is a large attraction to the programs in the COB. This area of the college is continually busy throughout the day and into the evenings.

Retention

Higher education is concerned not only about educating the student, but also about engagement, recruitment and retention. In the WTAMU College of Business, every effort has been made to create an amazing student-centric environment of engagement. From the moment a prospective, new, or returning student steps foot on our college floor, there is something exciting all around them that is constantly changing to provide information in a 21st Century multi-tasking way. Students share positive comments with faculty advisors about how professional and comfortable the COB currently is, and what an amazing piece of technology the interactive market board is.

Effectiveness

Full deployment of the complete digital technology system in the COB is just a few years old but the results are encouraging. Exit surveys of graduating students include questions relating to technology incorporated into the learning environment. Student satisfaction in this area has structurally shifted from a mean score of 3.2 to a statistically significant higher score of 4.7 (on a scale of 1-5). There is also anecdotal evidence that brand has been enhanced by the technology advancement via the satisfaction with the program score increasing from 4.0 to 4.4.

Enrollment and retention patterns have also shown positive trends, as preliminary priority registration numbers in the COB for last year increased approximately 13 percent. Although many factors can contribute to enrollment increases, professionals involved with student advising and enrollment agree that the technology-rich environment is a significant contributing factor. The fall to spring retention rate for business students increased from 77.1 percent in 2010 to 91.3 percent in 2011. These initial results are encouraging and additional tracking will occur.

Conclusion

Attitude is everything. Within each challenge presented, there will be opportunity, and by taking a creative approach to the deployment of DMS, branding, digital media zonal flow, engagement and retention, and recruitment efforts, the WTAMU College of Business continues to positively enhance a student-centric environment. Deployment of DMS, interactive market boards, and a 26-foot LED ticker in conjunction with a scalable network technology framework are at the center of this effort. Preliminary results from WTAMU imply DMS and a move to a more synchronous informational environment are key components to successfully branding, engaging, recruiting and retaining current college students.

Dr. De’Arno De’Armond is the Hickman professor of marketing at West Texas A&M University. Dr. Neil Terry is dean of the College of Business and professor of economics at West Texas A&M University.

This case study was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.

Copyright © Platt Retail Institute 2012 and reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. See the entire PRI Resource Library at http://www.plattretailinstitute.org/library.

Written by De’Arno De’Armond and Neil Terry

Thursday, 16 August 2012 16:10

West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is a public institution with a regional mission located in the Texas Panhandle and an enrollment of approximately 8,000 students. The technology infrastructure at the institution rivals that of even larger institutions, including a statewide network consortium and system-wide redundant Internet connectivity through a partnership with the University of Texas and Texas A&M. The recent adoption and use of digital media systems (DMS) in higher education has been well documented. Adapted from retail, hospitality, and other vertical markets, today’s DMS do a fantastic job of targeted zonal communication. Advancements in graphical user interfaces accompanying DMS have allowed non-technical individuals to become involved in the development and distribution of information. In most cases, however, there still exists a steep learning curve to overcome, especially for non-technical individuals, in order to utilize the DMS in an efficient and effective manner. Currently, the DMS landscape is limited to mostly a push information environment. This push environment may serve its purpose well for most environments but struggles to find success at higher education institutions. Challenges If the general consensus in higher education holds true, then the student who becomes engaged with his or her college should display higher recruitment and retention rates. As competition in higher education has increased in recent years, colleges need to be proactive in their marketing efforts to attract and retain students. This raises the question, what can be done to enhance the environment to create an avenue of student engagement? What tools might exist to provide an opportunity for individuals to interact and engage? Further, what methods might be deployed to increase college brand awareness and decrease potential filtering of the DMS content, in an effort to attract and or retain students? Solutions The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Every building on the WTAMU campus received multiple digital displays as part of the initial effort, which included a minimum of three screens in the mathematics area to a maximum of more than 20 screens in the College of Business. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty. The challenge was learning more about the systems, how they perform, what they can do, and what they cannot do. From the CIO to IT staff and faculty members, engagement and training were critical to success. The initial deployment of DMS on the WTAMU campus was established as a campus-wide emergency communication tool following several violent incidents on multiple campuses, most notably Virginia Tech. Campus leaders began to realize the opportunities the new network could provide to students and faculty. However, concerns remained in the College of Business that students were not actively engaging the informational zones, and therefore, could potentially filter the messages over time, thus, limiting information recall and reducing effectiveness. This could impact recruitment, retention and branding opportunities. Solutions to these challenges centered on four main pillars: Branding, Zonal Flow, Engagement and Recruitment and Retention efforts. Branding The WTAMU College of Business (COB) encompasses the second of four floors in the Classroom Center complex. Twenty-two 42-inch displays are mounted throughout the COB. Two 55-inch monitors with news and weather information are also part of the environment. An additional four 42-inch, touch-screen monitors are deployed beneath a 26-foot, full-color LED ticker. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, many of the displays are offset with Plexiglas cane detection barriers that also serve to brand the network and display the COB logo. Content creators receive COB-branded templates for message and brand consistency. Zonal Flow Informational zones have been created in strategic areas of high student traffic. For example, near the elevators, there are two monitors side-by-side. One monitor displays mission critical information such as faculty directories, classroom information, etc., and the other may be pushing business market information, or weather information. This zone is nicely appointed with leather couches, tables, charging stations and Wi-Fi in effort to create a “stick-point.” Other zones in the hallway are created with the merging of three separate DMS units, one displaying the mission critical information, one dedicated to in-house designed COB trivia, and the other replicating business market information. Where possible, each DMS zone is completed with either seating areas or bistro tables to optimize a comfortable student environment to increase effective message recall and enhance student retention. It is not uncommon to see dozens of students congregating in the different zones on a daily basis. Engagement and Recruitment An additional effort to actively engage and further create a synchronous pull informational environment is the deployment and utilization of an interactive display and an LED ticker. Four monitors work to create an interactive market wall in perfect location and harmony with the ticker, a moving, larger-than-life LED ribbon, which attracts students in one of the highest traffic areas on campus. Students from all disciplines are often seen watching the ticker, which displays market, news, and sports information. Once the ticket attracts the individual, the natural flow is to engage the interactive market board. The individual has the option to touch the board and interact with news, market, and other pertinent information. This combination of interactivity, color, and real time information is a large attraction to the programs in the COB. This area of the college is continually busy throughout the day and into the evenings. Retention Higher education is concerned not only about educating the student, but also about engagement, recruitment and retention. In the WTAMU College of Business, every effort has been made to create an amazing student-centric environment of engagement. From the moment a prospective, new, or returning student steps foot on our college floor, there is something exciting all around them that is constantly changing to provide information in a 21st Century multi-tasking way. Students share positive comments with faculty advisors about how professional and comfortable the COB currently is, and what an amazing piece of technology the interactive market board is. Effectiveness Full deployment of the complete digital technology system in the COB is just a few years old but the results are encouraging. Exit surveys of graduating students include questions relating to technology incorporated into the learning environment. Student satisfaction in this area has structurally shifted from a mean score of 3.2 to a statistically significant higher score of 4.7 (on a scale of 1-5). There is also anecdotal evidence that brand has been enhanced by the technology advancement via the satisfaction with the program score increasing from 4.0 to 4.4. Enrollment and retention patterns have also shown positive trends, as preliminary priority registration numbers in the COB for last year increased approximately 13 percent. Although many factors can contribute to enrollment increases, professionals involved with student advising and enrollment agree that the technology-rich environment is a significant contributing factor. The fall to spring retention rate for business students increased from 77.1 percent in 2010 to 91.3 percent in 2011. These initial results are encouraging and additional tracking will occur. Conclusion Attitude is everything. Within each challenge presented, there will be opportunity, and by taking a creative approach to the deployment of DMS, branding, digital media zonal flow, engagement and retention, and recruitment efforts, the WTAMU College of Business continues to positively enhance a student-centric environment. Deployment of DMS, interactive market boards, and a 26-foot LED ticker in conjunction with a scalable network technology framework are at the center of this effort. Preliminary results from WTAMU imply DMS and a move to a more synchronous informational environment are key components to successfully branding, engaging, recruiting and retaining current college students. Dr. De’Arno De’Armond is the Hickman professor of marketing at West Texas A&M University. Dr. Neil Terry is dean of the College of Business and professor of economics at West Texas A&M University. This case study was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here. Copyright © Platt Retail Institute 2012 and reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. See the entire PRI Resource Library at http://www.plattretailinstitute.org/library.