Adam Craig

Introduction

It is no stretch to suggest that we are more connected now than we have been at any point in history. Smartphone technology, wireless networks and social media have created a perfect storm of opportunity for educators to expand the scope of their teaching practice. Electronic learning, despite being a relatively new phenomenon, has made great strides in recent years with regards to effectiveness and accessibility. Where we stand now is on the verge of a new type of learning which is not only remote, but also mobile. With new tools at the disposal of educators, learning can essentially be free of the restrictions of time and space. It could be said that now students can learn anywhere and at any time, whether seated comfortably at a computer terminal or in the middle of an afternoon commute. Moreover, while early experiments in electronic learning were largely text based, modern connection speeds provide access to a media-rich and interactive virtual landscape where podcasts, YouTube videos and blog posts can be called upon in the service of teaching and learning.

Having studied social media in Dr Diane Rasmussen Neal’s online class as a component of The University of Western Ontario’s Master Library and Information Science programme, and with some experience in the field while working at the University of Toronto Mississauga, I have been in a position to see the convergence of social media, mobile technology and academia from two perspectives: using social learning networks like Edmodo as a student in class, and using QR codes to engage patrons while working in an academic library. From an administrative point of view, mobile technology opens up a whole world of options in terms of student outreach, offering new services and keeping patrons engaged. Similarly, as a student, I thought that using platforms like Edmodo enhanced the social experience of coursework by allowing me to connect and interact with classmates and instructors from anywhere and at any time.

Among the multitude of advantages the mobile approach offers in terms of curriculum delivery is the fact that it allows learners to engage at their own pace and according to their own terms. Working inside the constraints of the material, students are in some respects allowed to generate their own experience, to construct their own classroom and to do so on their own time. To qualify as a formal course of study, there will always be deadlines and instructors and there will always be assignments to be completed for testing retention and understanding, but inside of those parameters there is almost limitless freedom when mobile technology is utilized.

Produced annually in a partnership between the New Media Consortium and the Educause Learning Initiative, the Horizon Report is the result of careful research into new media, technological developments and notable impacts on education. The 2011 Horizon Report helps make a convincing case for adopting mobile technology as a vehicle for enhancing pedagogy when it suggests that ‘by 2015, 80 per cent of people accessing the Internet will be doing so from mobile devices’ and, further, that ‘Internet-capable mobile devices will outnumber computers within the next year’ (Johnson et al., 2011, p. 16). Leveraging mobile technology for curriculum delivery and academic study means implementing strategies that make use of existing (or soon to exist) infrastructure, and doing so in inviting and innovative ways.

The use of mobile technology in an academic setting can be divided roughly into two categories based on the sort of information being delivered:

In the next section of this chapter, I will look at two examples of the former category which illustrate the notion of borrowing from familiar social platforms, and look at how these ideas can be put to use in delivering course content and generating virtual spaces for student interaction. In subsequent sections, the question of service delivery and, more specifically, service discovery will be addressed and explored with respect to some relatively recent developments in barcode technology.

Leveraging the backchannel and immediate collaboration

More and more, we see examples in higher education of faculty and staff using software applications for delivering or supplementing coursework and lectures. In many cases, these projects are geared towards mobile users. Whether as a means of distributing extra content and resources which are tangentially related to course material, or for sending and receiving assignments which are mandatory for course completion, there are examples of platforms which work towards creating learning environments that are not restricted to class time and not limited by physical space and seating arrangements. Developed by Purdue’s information technology department, Mixable and Hotseat are examples that illustrate how software designers can elegantly and seamlessly incorporate ideas from social and mobile technology in the service of creating engaging new learning environments.

Released in autumn 2010, Mixable aggregates some of the social networking functions of Facebook with the usefulness of Dropbox (a free online ‘storage locker’ for files), with the desirable outcome being enhanced communication and collaboration among classmates (Information Technology at Purdue, 2011). By signing in with their institutional credentials, students can join networks for any courses on which they have enrolled. After joining, the user is linked to other students and faculty in a specific class network and given access to any content that others have made available. This content could take shape as links to YouTube videos, podcasts, short text updates, tweets or uploaded files. The intuitive interface sorts the types of material being shared and creates a coherent stream for each user and, with options for desktop computer use, smartphone applications for the iOS and Android platforms, and Facebook add-ons, users are given multiple options for participating.

Mixable checks each contribution a student user makes for the type of content that it contains, and in the case of links or media content a thumbnail image is generated. This seemingly simple function accomplishes two things. First, it allows users to forgo having to call on more than one application (going to YouTube to watch video content, for example), seamlessly blending different types of content into one continuous and easily managed stream. Second, by virtue of allowing content to be pulled into course streams, Mixable generates a rich online environment where curriculum is enhanced by secondary resources. By incorporating the functionality of Dropbox, students are given the opportunity to share documents with their colleagues. Important readings, assignments-in-progress and other course-relevant materials can be passed from student to student in a given network which can be used to make student collaboration more efficient and immediate.

Built into this online environment are a number of options for signing in. By designing a browser-based desktop application, a smartphone application and a Facebook application, developers at Purdue have allowed students to interact according to their own comfort level. Accessing the Mixable interface via Facebook means signing in to one’s own personal Facebook account and then a second sign-in with their institutional credentials (i.e., university email address or other identification). When users choose this route, the interface creates potential networks from existing Facebook contacts, and makes suggestions for new contacts from other users who have Facebook accounts. The application generates a list of Purdue students who use the Mixable application and who share classes with a user, which creates an opportunity for building social connections with colleagues. While students can opt out of this in order to keep their academic and social lives separate, the underlying assumption is that by creating a social space inside of a learning environment, the learning process becomes more inviting (Kolowich, 2010).

In short, Mixable functions as a social and mobile system for organizing and managing resources that appropriates ideas from already familiar and well-used platforms like Facebook, in the hope of encouraging deeper engagement and continuous learning. By taking the idea of a study group or lab session and placing it in a virtual environment, Mixable liberates students from scheduling issues and distance issues and encourages ongoing collaboration.

Similar in many respects to Mixable, Hotseat calls on existing social platforms for classroom use. However, it could be argued that where Mixable focuses more intently on assignment and resource sharing, Hotseat borrows a more ‘immediate’ or real-time approach for the sake of creating an in-class conversation. By making use of open Twitter APIs (application programming interfaces), the developers in Purdue’s information technology department have created an instantaneous learning and communication environment which effectively operates in the background during class time. This application works at creating new layers of course-related conversation, superimposed over or running concurrently with lectures.

As with much innovation, the impetus behind developing this sort of conversation-driven software comes from identifying the problem of how to keep students engaged in larger classes. The auditorium-style lecture is nothing new, and because of its relatively low cost to institutions and long history in post-secondary education, classes in excess of 300 students are likely to remain a part of the university experience. Despite being accepted as convention, this type of learning environment has its shortcomings. Chief among these is the fact that someone, somewhere near the back of the room, is likely to disengage. Since many institutions offer wireless Internet access on their campuses, and with the near-ubiquity of mobile phones and laptops, instructors may lose more than a handful of students to Facebook, Twitter and text messaging.

The research and design team at Purdue released Hotseat as what is basically a means of keeping students engaged, but one which does so by leveraging an existing phenomenon:

Leveraging an existent backchannel for communication amongst students, Purdue has made steps towards creating what could be called a peripheral learning environment in virtual space that complements actual course content, directs students towards desired learning outcomes and consequentially keeps things on track in auditorium-style lectures. With Hotseat, the backchannel is co-opted and runs less of a risk of becoming a distraction. Instead, the conversations those students were already having by passing notes, whispering and ‘Facebooking’ during class time are being harnessed for the sake of education.

The process for enhancing learning with Hotseat is simple: instructors pose a question and students make use of their chosen mobile device or laptop to answer it. User posts in Hotseat are limited to 140 characters, and they are automatically updated to a class feed and then organized by question. As a result, instructors are made aware in real time of the educational needs of their students, creating a dialogue that is at once constructive for meeting academic needs and also for ‘fine-tuning’ curriculum. By opening the lines of communication between instructor and audience, classes become dynamic and can be tailored to meet the particular needs of a specific group of students.

Just as Mixable borrowed and adapted ideas from Facebook, Hotseat takes the immediacy of Twitter and SMS (short message service) in order to enhance the large-class learning experience. By managing backchannel communication and enabling real-time dialogue between students and instructors, the application effectively closes the gap that can exist in classes with enrolment in excess of 300 students. Moreover, course-related conversations do not need to start and stop within the time constraints of a lecture. Students can continue their backchannel discussions after class has finished, making group study easier, mobile and available on demand. In both examples, mobility is the key. Accessing either the Mixable or Hotseat platforms from stationary terminals would be a failure to fully realize the opportunities that each offer for collaboration, dialogue and immediacy regardless of location.

In addition to uses in a strictly academic sense, mobile technologies can be an effective means of pushing information about peripheral services to the student population, such as library hours of operation, course registration dates and procedures and information about campus tours and orientation. Post-secondary institutions generate rich and active communities simply by virtue of gathering large numbers of people in close proximity to one another and, that being the case, many institutions find themselves looking at ways of offering signposts to navigate what could be a confusing and overwhelming experience. Since students are busy and perpetually ‘on the move’, it stands to reason that an effective solution for keeping them informed is through channels which allow information to reach them at any time and regardless of where they are in physical space.

There is no shortage of options available when it comes to the problem of disseminating administrative information to students. Whether this takes shape as an official Facebook page, Twitter account or YouTube channel, or along more ‘traditional’ lines as in handbooks, signage and pamphlets, institutions often have large teams of professionals available solely for the purposes of communicating to students what they need to do. When it comes to electronic means of delivery, issues arise in terms of driving users to the resources that they need. If we want our students to engage and receive administrative information through a registrarmaintained Facebook or Twitter account, for example, how do we let them know that those resources are available?

For platforms like Hotseat and Mixable, or the widely used Blackboard and Moodle course management systems, the answer is as simple as enlisting instructors to prompt their students to log in. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on the other hand rely heavily on user discovery, and since institutional presence in these environments is a relatively new phenomenon, administrators are ultimately gambling with time and resources. If people are not searching Facebook for their institution’s page, or if students don’t know that a Twitter account exists to find information about important deadlines, then pursuing these avenues can be a costly misstep. Two-dimensional codes, or QR codes, offer something in the way of a potential solution.

QR codes: creating linkages to online content in physical space

Research, development and implementation for QR codes started in 1994 with Toyota subsidiary, Denso Wave. As a global automotive and robotics manufacturer, Denso Wave developed this technology as a means of tracking parts’ shipments. The company identified a need for barcodes that could store more information as well as more types of information, and that could be scaled in order to accommodate physical space limitations. To track and display complex information about shipments of seatbelts, mufflers and door panels, Denso Wave decided that traditional barcodes were insufficient. The result of their research and design was the two-dimensional or QR barcode.

Where traditional barcodes store information only from left to right, QR technology allows for reading and writing bits of information on two axes, left to right and bottom to top (see Figure 7.1). According to Denso Wave documentation from 2010, whereas a one-dimensional barcode is capable of storing roughly 20 characters, QR codes are capable of storing and displaying ‘several dozen to several hundred times more information’ (from Denso Wave, 2010; no longer available online). This new approach to information transmission had benefits beyond the volume of data that could be stored. Reading along two axes meant that data could be stacked, and thus QR codes could be compressed into a much smaller space compared to barcodes.

Aside from the increased storage space offered by this new technology, the results of Denso Wave’s design project offered a number of other advantages over standard barcodes, including flexibility and resilience. By using position-sensing markers at three corners of each design, QR codes can be read regardless of the reader’s relationship to the code. Traditional barcodes require hardware readers to be pointed directly at and on the same plane as their target, whereas QR-reading technology is able to sort information around 360 degrees. These markers also allow codes to be read even when placed on uneven surfaces that might distort or bend the pattern.

The flexibility offered against distortion that comes from adding positional markers to codes is further complimented in many QR generators by offering varying degrees of data correction. In some cases, codes can be worn, damaged or have large chunks missing altogether and can still be read. With the free, web-based code writer found at http://www.delivr.com/, for example, users can choose to encode their final product with up to 30 per cent correction. This means that almost one-third of the actual code can be missing or damaged and the design remains readable by most software. With higher degrees of error correction a code will be more ‘dense’ or will be comprised of more individual points, but ultimately will be more resilient.

Despite holding the patent on QR code technology, Denso Wave has thus far chosen not to exercise it. This has given carte blanche to users and developers when it comes to what can be done with creating programs for reading and writing QR codes. The proverbial door has been flung wide open for both the public and the private sector with regards to this new technology, and the list of applications for their use is almost boundless in scope. The versatility of these barcodes, the openness and availability of the technology and the ingenuity on the part of developers and designers has meant a gradual, but consistent, expansion in uptake.

In 2008, the Information Technology Standards Committee in Singapore gathered substantial data on the background technology that drives QR technology. Included in their report was page after page of examples of QR codes at work in the private and public sector. The list (while not comprehensive) gives some indication as to the potential scope of use:

(Information Technology Standards Committee, 2008)

By virtue of the storage capacity these codes provide we see examples emerging where the technology has been put to good use for quality control and consumer education. In Taiwan, codes that point towards the Council of Agriculture mobile website can be found on packaged vegetables which consumers can scan to retrieve information about freshness and grower information. This process also allows for easier recalls in the event of contamination and provides customers with a sense of confidence in the products they purchase. Here we see mobile technology being put to use in the interest of public health and safety.

The above examples illustrate some creative uses of QR technology outside of North America, and it should be noted that the US and Canada have seen a considerably slower build-up in terms of users and developers fully recognizing the potential tool at their disposal. Overseas use has been significantly ahead in terms of the innovation at work and the sense of experimentation with regards to QR codes. That said, in recent years, and inspired by the near ubiquity of smartphone use, North American marketing companies, government bodies and other institutions have begun making steps towards including QR technology in their projects. Gradually, two-dimensional barcodes are beginning to appear on passport applications and building permits, fashion advertisements and on billboards in Times Square.

Due in large part to the fact that the underlying technical specifications for generating QR codes are open, there seems to be no shortage of freely available online applications for their creation. Anyone with an Internet connection has access to the necessary technology for creating QR codes and, moreover, anyone with a camera-enabled smartphone has access to applications for reading and displaying their contents. In many respects, anyone wishing to build projects around QR technology will find that much of the infrastructure necessary to get started is not only already in place, but is also cost-effective and easy to use.

For developers who wish to use QR codes in their projects, the options available are numerous and mostly free with more advanced code creating applications that will allow for a wider array of options in terms of what sort of data can be encoded. At http://www.qrstuff.com, users can choose to create codes with a direct link to Twitter or Facebook profiles, formatted contact information that will be added directly to smartphone address books, or VCalendar entries. Once a code has been generated through the chosen application, users are either asked to download as an image file, or are able to copy and paste the image directly from their browser. After being saved to the user’s hard drive, these codes can be implemented in print or digital form, manipulated in photo-editing programmes or distributed via the web.

As with code writing software, open standards for program development have meant a surge in reading applications. In many cases, readers are developed by the same companies that offer code generating applications. Kaywa offers free application downloads for Nokia, Motorola and Sony phones from the same site from which users can access their code generator. Readers run the gamut from bare-bones applications like the Kaywa reader mentioned above or TapMedia’s QRReader which simply translate and display data contained in codes, to more multi-purpose tools. As an example of the latter, a more comprehensive class of reader, RedLaser, has developed a mobile application which not only has full functionality for scanning two-dimensional codes but also for reading standard barcodes as well. The RedLaser application features full integration with smartphone calendars and address books and a history function which saves information gathered from scans (see Figure 7.2).

RedLaser illustrates the potential inherent in this technology. On a very basic level, the software functions as a ‘bridge’ between users and information existing online. Wrapped in this notion of camera-enabled smartphones acting as mobile portals to digital content through scanning technology is a wealth of possibilities for educators, librarians and other professionals who find themselves generating largely digital content. When the usefulness of information is contingent on how easily it is accessed, it becomes exponentially more important to ensure that the proper mechanisms are in place to make delivery effective, audienceappropriate and reliable.

Looking at the examples included earlier in this chapter it may seem a stretch to include QR codes in the toolbox at the disposal of educators and institutional administration; disseminating information about food freshness is a far cry from disseminating information about course curricula, class registration dates and campus services. On some very basic level, however, QR codes are still a means of dissemination and in that respect are similar to handouts and pamphlets. With that in mind, the responsibility for making the most of this technology lies squarely in the hands of whoever is using them. Mirroring the pace of uptake in the business sector, education has been slow to adopt QR codes. That said, the tentative steps that have been taken are promising and illustrate some degree of creativity and willingness to experiment.

Two such examples, similar but different in scope and execution, took place at the libraries of Syracuse University and Boise State. The former included QR codes on bookmarks distributed to students, posters, pamphlets and table-top signs in order to drive students to a virtual tour of their facilities and virtual resources in their collection. Boise State also used QR codes to lead users to content at a mobile-friendly website, but used signage in the physical space of the library to an official Twitter account and blog. In both cases, library web resources include comprehensive guides for the use of QR codes. If it can be said that one of the downsides of implementing a QR campaign is underutilization due to unfamiliarity, including informational content for students is an attempt at a solution. Both libraries provide a brief background on QR code technology, some of the motivating factors that led to their implementation, and recommendations for which readers to use.

Ryerson University in Toronto began its experimentation with QR codes by using them to drive traffic to downloadable audio resources. Based on the success of that project, in 2010 they began to implement a large-scale project in which codes were added to library catalogue entries and contained location, call number, title and author information for items in the collection. After scanning codes that appear on-screen in the library’s online public access catalogue (OPAC), users are able to save information to their mobile device for retrieving physical resources at their convenience. After noting a positive response to this project, Ryerson released its own mobile application that included a built-in code reader for accessing information contained in both ISBN and QR codes (McCarthy and Wilson, 2011).

Outside of the library walls, the potential for QR codes is no less impressive and requires little in the way of time and resources. Here are just a few examples:

The list of possibilities for incorporating QR codes into the post-secondary student experience is only limited by willingness to experiment. For administrators and instructors with an interest in adopting new technology in the service of coursework, institutional promotion and information delivery, QR codes are an easy-to-use and inexpensive option.

Comparing the costs against the potential benefits of a QR code campaign is likely to demonstrate little in the way of risk. Because the applications necessary to run a project of this sort are largely free, institutions can approach them with an attitude that says ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. The Ryerson example mentioned earlier is special if for no other reason than the scale, and since it represents a more in-depth and all-encompassing approach to using QR technology the risks actually became somewhat more immediate. To not only include codes in Ryerson’s library catalogue but to build software that makes use of those codes would be a substantial investment of time and resources.

Treading lightly in uncharted territory

Understanding and looking critically at a project before taking the first steps is absolutely crucial, and this is true particularly when investigating the viability of new technological solutions to problems. The following only really scratches the surface of a list of questions that need to be asked before charging headlong into e-endeavours:

When asking these questions during the planning stages of new projects, organizers may be forced to make difficult decisions about viability. Technological initiatives may not meet all of the criteria outlined above, but ultimately may prove to be no less valuable. With that in mind, the most important question to be asked is how well a project fits with institutional imperatives. In other words, does it meet the needs of the student?

In this chapter, we have looked at two considerably different but nonetheless related applications of technology; first, Mixable and Hotseat represent advances in student-centred social software. Borrowing popular ideas from the dominant platforms embedded in student culture, these two programs are potentially powerful tools for enhancing teaching and learning. They effectively address a need for immediacy, dialogue and collaboration in education and they do so in simultaneously novel and enticing ways. By leveraging concepts from Twitter and Facebook, the developers at Purdue have almost guaranteed success in terms of student buy-in.

The second part of this chapter looked at QR codes, a technology whose motivating principle is ultimately nothing revolutionary. When all is said and done, QR codes are simply an effective means of expressing information in a manageable form. A fitting analogy for two-dimensional barcodes would be a blank sheet of paper, in that their value comes embedded in the ways in which they are used. Without being encoded with meaningful content, QR codes are simply constellations of square dots inside a box. That said, in the right set of hands and under conditions where students are likely to put in the effort to acclimatize themselves with the ‘ins and outs’ of QR codes, this method of information delivery could revolutionize the way services and resources are accessed.

What ties platforms like Mixable or Hotseat to tools like QR codes is mobility, and the way in which wireless connectivity is being used to create connections to online content. Mixable and Hotseat create a virtual forum for discussion that can be accessed anywhere and at any time. QR codes provide access points in real space to virtual content that would otherwise require users to be stationary. In both cases, the end result is increased and enhanced access in the service of enriching the experience of online content. When used creatively, and with the best interests of students in mind, the new tools available could represent a paradigm shift in electronic learning.

References