QR codes add interactivity to advertisement on and around campus
Bar codes have become a little more interactive thanks to an increasingly popular 21st century makeover.
Quick response codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can be read by smartphones. They consist of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background.
These codes make it easy to go straight to a URL, text or other location with a quick snap of a phone camera.
“QR codes takes students straight to the link of advertisement,” said Kole Taylor, a technical writer at CMU's Office of Technology.
He said OIT used QR codes to promote its March technology summit. The codes were placed on bus stop advertisements, and linked back to program registration information.
Ann Arbor sophomore Ethan Maulbetsch said he does not like QR codes despite their popularity.
“I feel like it takes just as much time to take the picture of the code as it would to just type in the link,” he said.
However, many of the codes serve to cater to user curiosity.
Jeffrey McDowell, OIT associate director of user services and support, said he scans QR codes to find out what else he can learn about something.
He said he likes the amount of engagement the codes can add to a poster or an advertisement.
"It makes you want to find out what that information is," he said.
Taylor said in addition to linking code users to more information about something specifically, many companies use QR codes to monitor how many people visit their site.
He said for a company, it is an easy way to see how effective its ads are.
Taylor said he has seen the use of QR codes increasing around campus, and said he thinks their use might grow at CMU as well.
Any trend seen outside of the university will usually have an effect inside the university, he said.
"I think, initially, people were sort of confused when they saw them, but definitely with the sort of presence of technology ... have come to adopt them more regularly," he said. "I think more and more people are being exposed to these and therefore probably know what they are."
Smartphone technology
QR code readers are only one of many functions smartphones can handle.
Not only are QR codes growing around campus, but the presence of smartphones is growing as well.
“I can stay connected with people, especially because Facebook and email are easy to access,” said Ovid freshman Morgan Roberts. “Plus, it is always helpful to have the GPS on my phone in case I get lost.”
The phones have also found their way into the classroom, allowing students to access Blackboard for on-the-go course updates and information.
“We may see more uses of this type of technology in the classrooms in time to come, though it isn’t certain,” Taylor.
