Co-authored with Milena Bobeva, the Business School, Bournemouth University. Quick Response (QR) codes, the 2-D bar codes are becoming the new norm for businesses to reach their customers and provide a fast user-friendly way to access relevant content online through the use of mobile technology. Educational institutions are on the uptake in making use of these 21st century tools as a way to engage their main stakeholders, i.e. students. Within the Business School we have recently experimented with using QR codes across several programmes. This has stared with codes leading to library materials and has expanded gradually into further areas such as marketing, programme contact details and learning resources. This presentation is going to introduce our experience, including some statistics on user involvement and feedback from students and staff, as well as some innovative endeavours in exploiting these free resources.

1. QR Codes in Education
The Business School Experience
Dr. Milena Bobeva mbobeva@bournemouth.ac.uk
David Hopkins, dhopkins@bournemouth.ac.uk
How are they being used?
QR Codes: What are they? QR Codes are gaining momentum as businesses use them as part
How are we using them?
of their marketing strategy., examples include:
A Quick Response code (‘QR Code’) is a two-dimensional (2D) QR Codes were introduced to the Placement students in the
barcode, just like the barcode you see on your box of cereal or on • Tickets (events & airlines) • Business cards Business School as part of the Project Handbook. A code was
but it can hold more information. • Discount codes • Store windows (Facebook placed on the back cover (see photo below) that linked to the
• Video (DVD, CD, etc) page, Foursquare check-in, etc) ‘Catalogue and Resources’ page on the Library website.
1D barcode: contains numerical
2D barcode: contains text • Product Information • ‘Google Places’
information such as name, (medicine, advice, etc) In the five days after the handbooks were given out we had 14
data, usually found on items for sale
numbers, web address, etc scans of the code from BlackBerry and iPhone devices, as well as
Television and printed advert from Real Estate (property particulars incl. several accesses from PC-based Internet browsers showing some
Waitrose linking to their iPhone App Price, photos, room sizes, etc) students were using the shortened URL on their PC – possible
(listing ingredients and recipes)
indications that students without access to smart phone technology.
BABS Project Handbook
Wine Merchants (details of wine,
You can create a barcode with more than just a web address. You Calvin Klein billboard advert (link to
vineyard and vintage)
can create the code for the following types of ‘data’: uncensored YouTube video)
• Web address
• Phone number
• Contact details
• Email address
• Text message
Mobile Computing
Access to cutting-edge computing and mobile technology has Scan this
brought advances in the Internet to the student: Scanning this code on a smart phone
will open a specific shortened URL
• More than 30% of Facebook’s 600m users access daily via (e.g. snap.vu/hr6r) that will direct the
mobile (more than 50% update their status each day). phone web browser to the
• More than 50% of Twitter’s 170m users access via mobile. Bournemouth University website. This
• 91% of US mobile Internet use is social or for socialising. could quite easily direct you to any
• 29% of mobile Internet users would scan a code to get online material, including:
discount.
• Contact details
http://www.flowtown.com/blog/how-are-mobile-phones-changing-social-media [Accessed April 19, 2011] • Lectures and lecture slides
• Hand outs and printed materials
• Podcast(s)
How do you create a code? •
•
Revision videos
Unit materials
• YouTube (video clips)
There are many websites where you can create a QR Code, for • Subject-specific News resource(s)
free. The best ones are listed below: • Library resources (inc. eBooks)
• Induction activities
• Kaywa – http://qrcode.kaywa.com • Campus tours
• Assignment details
• Snap.vu – http://snap.vu • Event information
• Job vacancies
• Create QR Code - http://createqrcode.appspot.com • Fundraising (see below)
• etc
• Mobile Barcodes - http://www.mobile-barcodes.com
Fundraising
YouTube: QR Code in action
Spotted in Poole House at the beginning of March were students
selling cupcakes and raising funds for a local hospice charity
(‘Under the Fog’ for Christina Nobel Childrens’ Foundation) ...
Using QR Codes to link to the ‘Just Giving’ donation page (very
What is this? innovative, well done guys!).
It is good practice to include a URL, or shortened URL as
demonstrated above, to enable students without camera-enabled
smart phones to access the materials you are introducing.
Future Use of QR Codes
in the Business School
Name plate / Door Signs Promotional Literature Reference Letter Framework Newsletter 2011 Project Handbook (Revised edition)
Placing a QR Code on your name plate outside Placing a QR Code on a poster or leaflet gives The QR Code displayed here links through to Including QR Codes in the body of the (printed) Additional codes will be added to the Project
your office could link to your online calendar a quick and easy the contact details and Academic profile of the Newsletter for quick access to online Handbook (see above) to include other
and/or contact details for quick scanning. sender / Framework Leader. resources. important resources.