What are the advantages of smart boards in the classroom?

What is a smart board used for? North Carolina-based fourth-grade teacher Riley Higgins is using a smart board in the classroom to build 21st-century learners. The language arts and social studies teacher recently asked her students, ages 9 and 10, to research a city in their state and create a multimedia project they then shared on their smart boards. The project makes kids excited to learn, and using an interactive whiteboard, she said, makes learning “fun.” These types of interactive projects recently helped her win the Teacher of the Week award from a local television station.

This is just an example of the many advantages of interactive whiteboards over normal blackboards or whiteboards. The technology, which is becoming more widely adopted in schools across the country, has also been proven to help students stay engaged with their schoolwork.

Today, tools that help teachers capture and keep students’ attention are invaluable. A 2022 study by Gallup found that digital tools are strongly associated with better student outcomes including ease of learning from home and expectations for learning progress. A Harvard Business Review article asserts that lack of student engagement is one of the biggest issues educators face today. Another study shows that student engagement — specifically low student engagement — is the issue most in the way of students reaching grade level, as 68% of teachers agreed.

Smart boards — also called interactive whiteboards or e-boards — improve the learning experience while making teachers’ lives better. They allow teachers and students to learn collaboratively, share files, access online resources and use educational software.

Here are five of the top uses of smart boards in teaching and learning, and how they can benefit every student.

1. Boost student engagement

Today’s K-12 students are digital natives, and researchers say they learn better because of it.

One study found that smart boards improve good teaching and increase clarity among teachers and students. With smart boards, like Samsung Interactive Displays, teachers can create more dynamic lessons by writing or typing on screen, calling attention to certain topics with highlights, circles, arrows or zooming in, and sharing multimedia content such as videos, webpages, presentations and images. The smart board can even be divided into multiple sections so more than one student can work on it at once. In fact, using Split Screen Mode, teachers and students can see two windows at once.

2. Accommodate different learning styles

Whether a child is a visual learner, an auditory learner or a kinesthetic (hands-on) learner, an interactive whiteboard can benefit them. Visual learners can view the 4K UHD screen — such as the one on Samsung Interactive Displays — while auditory learners can listen to multimedia content, and hands-on learners can write on the board with a stylus, or even their finger. Educators can use the smart board for teaching small groups, organized by learning style, or one on one with individual students. Plus, since Samsung Interactive Displays support powerful screen sharing, teachers and students can participate using smart wireless sharing from multiple devices.

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3. Save, share and send lessons

When students are out sick, K-12 teachers typically spend time creating work packets for them to catch up. With a smart board, this process is easier since teachers can screenshot their lessons and instantly save and share them with students and colleagues as needed. Or, they can record the entire lesson with the recording feature. The content options are limitless: Teachers can save their notes so they can pick up where they left off, or they can create review materials for students to bring home to study. This is especially beneficial for students who are trailing their peers, as they no longer have to take notes in real time while struggling to keep pace with the lesson. If they miss something, they can easily refer back to it on their own time.

At the beginning of the day, smart board startup is easy — just turn it on, and go. And at the end of the day, teachers can turn off the board without needing to erase anything or take physical notes on what they covered.

4. Make the classroom work for everyone

Sometimes, there’s a need for remote learning. Smart boards make it easier for teachers to include remote students via videoconference technology. There’s no need to set up any special cameras. Students at home can see everything the teacher is doing and interact with their peers, too. This not only enables hybrid learning but encourages it. You can also benefit by using intelligent apps for class, such as Boxlight’s MimioConnect educational software specifically designed to help students meet their educational goals.

5. Help students succeed

A study in the Universal Journal of Educational Research proved that students who learned via an interactive whiteboard did significantly better on standardized tests than those who did not use the technology. The same study points out that permanence in learning is increased through visual materials, paintings, symbols and screen designs. Another study linked achievement on the Ohio Achievement Reading Tests to the use of interactive whiteboards, across all grade levels. And since the newest Samsung Interactive Displays feature Android 11 OS, it’s easier and more comfortable for teachers to unlock unlimited learning potential via a familiar user experience.

Given all the ways interactive smart boards enhance the learning experience, school districts that invest in smart boards are investing in their students.

You can find the right classroom display for your students’ needs — and for your budget — by exploring Samsung’s full lineup of versatile interactive displays. And discover how simple, scalable and secure display solutions can empower educators to take control of the curriculum in this free guide.

While traditional, analog building directories may still exist, the majority of businesses – of all sizes and across industries – have made the switch to digital solutions. Given their broad utility, attractive design and reasonable pricing, it’s easy to see why digital directories have become so popular over the past five years.

What is a Digital Directory Board? 

Digital directory boards help visitors, employees, customers and guests locate specific areas of a building or campus. This can include a wide range of locations – mall stores, businesses within a commercial office building, airport terminals and gates, conference rooms, or the offices of various individuals, such as employees or team members, for example.

What Types of Digital Directories are Available?

Digital directories are available in several styles, some more complex than others. 

• Non-Touch Static: These digital directories display the same information at all times. They are common in office building lobbies, where they show a list of offices, usually by business name, alongside their location, like floor and suite number.

• Non-Touch Dynamic: These digital directory boards are not interactive but they are able to display more information by rotating through a set number of pre-programmed screens. While they most often show typical directory information, screens can also be added to display weather, traffic and news, too.

• Touchscreen and Interactive: Digital directories that can be manipulated by the user are the most expensive, but also offer the most utility. They also offer greater opportunity to capitalize on the larger investment via avenues such as paid local advertising.

Which Businesses can Benefit from Digital Directory Boards? 

Digital directories can be found in any number of environments. Some of the more common places they appear are airports and other transportation hubs, hospitals, shopping centers, judicial complexes/justice centers, office buildings, and college campuses. 

• Office buildings

  : Digital office building directories are usually located in the lobby, and depending on the size of the building, are sometimes available on each floor.

• Healthcare

  : Large hospital campuses can benefit from digital directories to help patients feel more comfortable and less anxious about finding their way around a new place.

• Schools

  : College campuses were some of the earliest adopters of digital directories. Given they are some of the only places around that regularly “turn over” ¼+ of their population, it’s easy to see why they would be needed.

• Judicial complexes and justice centers

  : In larger cities and county seats, judicial complexes can be enormous, as well as confusing to navigate. And, for the vast majority of visitors, it’s likely their first (and hopefully, last!) time on the campus, which means there’s unlikely to be enough time for them to familiarize themselves with their surroundings well enough to become comfortable with them.   

• Transportation hubs

  : Airports have quite a range of different locations that travelers may need to find. It’s not just gates, but instead, restrooms, lost luggage, baggage claim, airline assistance, restaurants and stores, too. 

Where can a directory board be placed?

One of the many benefits of digital directories is that they are available in many different sizes and able to be placed almost anywhere:

• Movie Theaters

  : Cinemas can use digital directories to display which movies are playing and what times, as well as the specific theater each film is playing in. They can be placed both at the ticket booth, and inside the lobby.

   
• Malls

  : Shopping centers utilize directory boards to display store locations at regular intervals within the building. They are most often hung from ceilings at a level that is eye-catching but unobtrusive.

• Bus Stations

  : Transportation centers use digital directories to help passengers locate the correct bus terminal, as well as arrival and departure times. They can be located at ticketing areas, as well as at each terminal.

   
• Hospitals

  : Healthcare campuses often use directory boards in multiple areas to help assist visitors in finding departments, offices and individuals, as well as common areas like cafeterias and gift shops. They are usually placed wherever there is heavy foot traffic, such as by elevators or in lobbies.

   

7 Main Benefits of Interactive Digital Directory Boards 

While digital directories that are configured with touchscreen, interactive capabilities may be more expensive, the range of benefits available can make them well worth the higher price. Some of these include:

1. Customizable messaging: Messaging can be updated regularly in order to keep it relevant and useful to its intended audience. In environments like hotels or conference centers, for example, digital directories can be used to communicate information about events and meetings, even when they change frequently from day to day. 

2. Better user engagement and attention: Interactive digital directories are far more modern and attractive than their analog counterparts, leading to better and more user engagement. They are a simple way to help update and modernize a range of spaces, in particular, office building lobbies. 

3. Ease of updating and scheduling: Because digital directories are computerized, they can be easily updated remotely, and new content scheduled to be pushed out on a regular basis. Colleges and universities utilize this feature frequently in order to help students and staff identify classrooms and lecture halls, especially when spaces are shared and users change frequently. 

4. Effective in emergency situations: In the case of an extreme weather event or area safety lockdown, digital directory boards, like those found in “smart cities,” can be used to quickly broadcast emergency information. 

5 .Helpful for wayfinding and navigation: Interactive digital directories can be integrated with software that allows them to be used for wayfinding and navigation, including turn-by-turn instructions, mobile handoff, and lighted paths. Large educational campuses, in particular, often find this type of utility helpful for directing new students and visitors to their destinations.  

6. Revenue generation: Digital directories can be used as an additional revenue source when partnering with local and national businesses to display paid advertisements. Shopping centers are one of the most common environments to find directories that are also used to show ads.

7. Branding and Brand Awareness: Digital directory boards can be customized with “wraps” or powder coated with the company’s brand colors and/or logos. Another way to reinforce branding is with on-screen messaging that can be shown on the “attract” screen, interspersed with other screens, or even presented subtly on every screen in the rotation. Nearly every organization that invests in digital directories chooses to take advantage for at least one of these forms of branding, from ball parks to office buildings. 

How to create a digital directory board for your business

Digital directories are incredibly popular and can be one of the most affordable types of kiosks to build. In order to get the process underway and have it running smoothly, there are some simple steps to follow:

1. Find a reputable digital signage developer and provider:

   There are many kiosk companies in the digital signage space. However, most are fairly new, and almost none provide turn-key manufacturing services from design to deployment. Choosing a partner who has been in business for many years and can provide end-to-end service, like REDYREF, can help ensure the project’s success.

2. Discuss your company's use case for digital boards:

   This is important because it is what will determine the size and type of display needed, as well as any software, components and integrations required. 

3. Review the development proposal and quote, as well as any installation or service agreements:

   Review the proposal and quote, make sure that all of the requested requirements have been met, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

4. Approve proposal for manufacturing

   : Even if they handle the design and sales aspects of their kiosk programs, most kiosk companies do not manufacture their digital directory boards, but instead, bid them out for manufacturing elsewhere. Companies like REDYREF, however, manufacture their products on-site, and even welcome customers to watch their kiosks being fabricated and assembled right in front of them, whether they are working on a kiosk prototype or full production run.  

5. Deployment:

   If an installation or service contract was included in the proposal, the kiosk company will install the digital directory based on that agreement, and will be available to troubleshoot any issues at that time, or in the future. This often includes training staff on how to use, maintain and update the digital directory. As a full-service kiosk solution provider, REDYREF is able to provide all of these options to customers as part of their kiosk manufacturing and service contracts. 

Why Choose REDYREF for Digital Directories?

Whether for hospitality, healthcare, educational, or office management needs, REDYREF offers kiosks manufacturing for a range of digital directory designs suitable for every environment. From static digital personnel listings, to interactive maps, weather, stock prices, digital advertising and local area information, our directory software can be customized in hundreds of ways in order meet the needs of our customers. Ready to learn more? Contact REDYREF today by requesting an online quote, or giving our sales team a call at 1.800.628.3603.