Quick Response or “QR” codes have been around for a while now, but they have never been as prevalent as they are right now. Advances in technology have made them more valuable and useful to the public, including the University. The remainder of this post is going to talk about what QR Codes are, how they work, give two examples of practical use by two departments on campus, and end with a challenge to you, the reader and some resources to get started.
Basically a QR code is a strange-looking matrix barcode, usually created with black and white boxes that can contain a lot of information. When scanned, the barcode is decoded and this triggers some sort of action. Most Quick Response codes take users to URLs on the web but QR codes can also display text, open documents, or even connect you to a wireless network. How cool is that?
Of course, in order to make use of a QR code, you need a scanner. Enter the smartphone. One of the big contributors to QR codes taking off in popularity lies with advances in smartphone technology. The typical smartphone now comes with at least one large mega pixel camera that is able to take photos with greater detail, making reading a QR code easier. Smartphones also generally come with an LED flash/flashlight that can be used to shine light on a code if you’re trying to scan in low-light situations.
If you have a smartphone, all you need is a QR code scanner app and you can scan codes to your heart’s content. The Android, iOS, and Blackberry app markets have free versions of QR code scanners. Check out the Resources section at the end.
Combine the advancements in smartphones with the how common smartphones are becoming and you have a great opportunity to use available technology for something really great. This is especially true for us as a University with a student population that is increasingly more and more dependent on technology.
QR Codes to Improve Lab Safety
Our first practical use of this technology comes from a faculty member in Engineering & Technology that decided to use QR codes to link lab equipment to safety resources. Each piece of machinery in the Construction Lab (table saw, drill press, etc.) has a QR code attached to it. When students scan the code with their smartphone, it takes them to a resource page for that piece of equipment that includes an online version of the instruction manual (PDF) and safety videos on proper use.
Students have a variety of resources made readily available to them on their smartphone, a device they are very familiar with and are more likely to interact with than a paper instruction manual. This allows the Construction Lab to become a less cluttered, safer environment and students are engaged with a technology that they’re already familiar with. That’s an easy win, win.
QR Codes and Promotional Use
There are actually several departments on campus using QR code technology for promotional/marketing purposes. One of the more obvious uses is Career Development’s QR code t-shirt. It features a blown up code that grabs your interest, but also a real one, silk screened on the shirt, that can be scanned with your smartphone. Scanning it takes you to their department website. The beauty of this lies in not having to remember a URL or contact information. Instead, if I need to get back to their site, all I have to do is scan the code; whether it’s on a t-shirt they gave me, a t-shirt someone else is wearing-which might be weird but funny, or another piece of promotional swag like a fridge magnet. Students are enabled to quickly access content via smartphone, which most of the time will always be at their side. And again, it’s engaging students in a way that makes sense to them, with technology they already use.
Challenge to Faculty:
How can you make use of this technology? Improving lab safety and promotional purposes are only two examples of practical use in a University setting. Are there resources that could be made more available to your students using QR codes?
Resources to Get Started:
QR Code Apps can be found in most smartphone app stores by searching for “QR Code Scanner” or “QR Code Reader”. Many of the most popular are free. Some app markets also offer free QR Code Generators that will create QR codes for you based off of the information you put into the software.
QR Codes: Tutorial Video From CNET
App Stores: Android – iPhone – iPad – Blackberry
QR Code Generator Websites:
If you would like to make use of this technology and need further guidance, please contact me: David.Moseley@tamuc.edu or 903-468-8792. We’d love to partner and talk with you about how to make use of available technology.
Recent Comments