The way that students learn has rapidly accelerated over the last two years. In the wake of the pandemic, students have been forced to adapt to remote learning, hybrid work, and the return to campus. Accelerating along with them is the technology being used by students, faculty, staff, and all visitors to campus.

For university administrators and IT staff, it is crucial to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to digital signage software for colleges.

Learn more about the latest IT trends for universities and how administrators can facilitate a more efficient and enriching on-campus experience with digital signage software for education from 22Miles.

1. Learning On The Go With Mobile Devices 

The shift toward digital is present in nearly every aspect of higher education. More students are using online learning tools today than ever before, and these tools are shown to be working. 

One study by McKinsey reports that more than 60 percent of students believe that all classroom learning technologies they’ve used since COVID-19 began had improved their learning and grade. But, there is more work to do when it comes to technology in higher education. One of the top IT trends for universities is an increase in advanced learning management systems and mobile content integration. 

The rise in the “work from anywhere” model is as present in higher education as it is in the workplace, and students on the go need access to campus and class information via mobile devices. With 22Miles’ Carry2Mobile™ technology, students and visitors, as well as faculty and staff, can experience all signage content via their mobile devices with no app download necessary. This allows individuals to scan a QR code on either an analog or digital sign, swipe through and interact with content, and carry the information with them on the go. 

Carry2Mobile™ allows these individuals to register for events, navigate a large campus, and learn about university offerings without the added project of downloading an app. Mobile integrations with static or digital signage can also be used for marketing materials, real-time safety information, and much more. To keep students and visitors engaged on campus, mobile integration is just one of the many tools available in the technology-rich higher education experiences of tomorrow. 

2. Augmented and Virtual Reality

As of 2021, there were 57.4 million virtual reality users and 90.9 million augmented reality users in the United States alone, according to Zippia. While Augmented and Virtual Reality continue to be adopted across many industries, like gaming, business, and healthcare, higher education is no exception. McKinsey finds that 37 percent of students are most excited about AR/VR’s potential in the classroom. 

AR/VR technology can create a more engaging learning environment, with the ability to help students visualize and interact with content in a way that they never have before. Full immersion in subject matter allows students to grasp lessons on a deeper level, and can often replace traditional textbooks, paper pamphlets, and handouts. 

At 22Miles, our technology is consistently ahead of the curve, and has featured an Augmented Reality Plug-in for mobile wayfinding since 2018. In 2018 this AR plug-in also won the award for Best New Digital Signage Application. 

Augmented Reality 3D Wayfinding makes it easy for visitors to find their destinations on a large campus by superimposing a simple pathway over the phone’s camera. This technology promotes anything within the real world when a user points their phone camera to a location based on their proximity. This is particularly useful in providing turn-by-turn directions, blue dot directions, location-based info pop ups, and ADA compliant, accessible routes for students and visitors seeking to navigate an often confusing and large area. 

3. Sustainability With Smart Technologies

When exploring the latest technology in digital signage software for education and IT trends for universities, the focus on sustainability cannot be ignored.

On any college campus, buildings are typically the largest consumer of energy and the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, according to The Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. For universities looking to reduce their carbon footprint, the shift toward smart technologies can help. Digital signage overall helps the environment by reducing the amount of paper and hardware needed in any given building with digital directories, virtual campus maps, mobile apps for campus communications, and more. 

As one of 22Miles’ most sustainable offerings yet, ecoPUK panels are laser-engraved with a QR code, NFC tag, and custom branding on green materials like bamboo and recycled acrylic. When powered by the 22Miles content management system, these static panels enable instant access to dynamic experiences on personal mobile devices. This solution for sustainable, smart signage is particularly helpful for checking room availability and resources, reserving a study space, making tech support inquiries in real time, and more for students and staff on the go. 

While these static panels are not powered by electricity, this cuts energy consumption and cost significantly, as well as paper consumption and printing costs, and employee time spent managing the generation of analog collateral. Additionally, ecoPUK panels will not be deemed unusable should the power go out.