There seems to be a bit of a buzz building up around QR ["Quick Response"] codes at the University of Bath, so Ithought that I’d make a posting highlighting of the areas of it that I find interesting.
Simply put, a QR Code is an extension of a barcode that you might see on a variety of products available in any shop. QR Codes, a matrix code or 2D bar code, have been made popular in Japan were they are used in a number of different contexts. It is possible to embed a website adddress, a mobile phone number or just plain text in a QR Code.
The QR Code on the left is an example of one, and will take you to my profile page on the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Office website. The code itself was generated by a QR code Generator, an example of which is provided by Kaywa. As with any such code, you need access to a QR Code reader, such as the one (once again) provided by Kaywa. More commonly however, QR Code readers can be installed on a variety of mobile phones where the software utlises the camera on a particular phone. For example, I’ve got QuickMark installed on my Nokia E65 mobile phone, which is based on a Symbian 60 OS. However, readers are also available for other mobile phone platforms suchas Windows Mobile 6.
QR Code were intially used for “tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing” [Wikipedia.org], but are now entering the mainstream. For example, a QR could be put on a t-shirt as a marketing tool. Or on a business card to encourage people to visit a particular website – I’m thinking that I should have done this when I got my last batch printed! QR Codes have begun to penetrate the UK retail market too as one blogger has already observed. Ralph Lauren have also jumped on the bandwagon. It is creating a link between the real and virtual worlds.
The Marketing applications of QR Codes are obviously. But what are some of the learning and teaching applications?
- The e-Learning team have begun to develop in-house, a QR Code generator which automatically appeands a QR Code to the bottom of any Moodle course page that is printed out. This in turn links back to the URL of the page that was printed out. I’ve recently installed the Opera Mobile browser on my phone, and it renders normal websites perfectly. A QR Code could allow students to access Moodle courses very quickly and easily on their handheld device.
- For e-Learning seminars and workshops, the team have been encouraged to put QR codes on PowerPoint slides used for presentations. This could then be extended to lecturers putting QR Codes in the slides that they use for teaching.
Admittedly, QR codes can look like a really badly pixelised image. As such, the first step will be about raising awareness is to what they are.
Update [1]: Roger Smolski has just alerted me to a QR Code-related online magazine, 2d code. Head there for up-to-date news and analysis.
Update [2]: A variety of uses of QR Codes in different contexts have been showcased on Flickr by mobiusmobile.
To add to your post: We launched a free, multicolor QR Code generator. Check it out at http://www.viooli.com
hi Nitin,
Good points, but all very “surface” level … how are you going to use them? what are you expecting to find when you use them? you’ve mentioned a few so how what do you think will be the impact of these uses and why? we need to be getting deeper in the way we discuss these. Your post reads like an end / closure of a topic not unravelling the layers and discovering new pathways.
Just one example of a great use of QR codes (from the news section of my QR code website) :-
The City of Manor, Texas, USA was recently honoured at an annual conference put on by Goverment technology and the center for digital Government for an innovative use of QR codes. The Manor SmartCode project has placed City of Manor SmartTour QR Codes around the City. The City Secretary for City of Manor explained to QRMe that QR codes have been placed on historical markers, old buildings, The city hall, parks, city vehicles, business cards and other items of interest. One scan of a city vehicle (SmartTruck) QR code will direct you a web page disclosing information about the trucks functions and it’s routes. SmarkPark QR Codes placed on fences surrounding parks explain the history of the person the park is named after as well as rental information if you would like to hire the park for a function.