Going Mobile Part 2: Using QR Codes Effectively

If you've read Part One of this series, you've asked yourself if you should be using QR codes, and I'm guessing if you're still here, you answered "yes" or at least, "...maybe?"

In this post, we're going to look at a couple of examples of museums that have used QR codes highly effectively, overcoming some of the barriers to entry mentioned previously: not knowing what a QR code is and what to do with it, having to download a QR reader to a smartphone or other mobile device, and motivation to do so.

A couple of examples of museum QR code projects that are successfully overcoming these barriers are the Brooklyn Museum and The Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz.

The Brooklyn Museum is well known for its use of technology to drive its community-centered mission. Shelley Bernstein, the museum's Chief of Technology, describes in a blog post the museum's many different uses of QR codes. Key take-aways from this blog post include an emphasis on ensuring accessibility, which they do by providing the same information via kiosks for people without smartphones, providing introductions and explanations for the QR codes in various forms, and the importance of experimentation and testing with new technology initiatives.

Meanwhile, Nina Simone of the Museum 2.0 blog, and Executive Director of The Museum of Art & History, focused on another significant barrier for audiences: why would a visitor want to scan a QR code in the first place? When adding QR codes to a special exhibition at MAH, they found a simple solution. By using a brief line of introductory text at each QR code, such as, "Scan the QR code to see the inside of this cabinet (1 min slideshow)." they introduce the concept of QR codes, as well as entice audiences with a description of what the QR code leads to.

Have you seen any other examples of effective QR codes in museums (or elsewhere)?

Going Mobile Part 1: Should Your Museum Be Using QR Codes?

(Hint: Are your visitors?) 

From the QR Designs exhibit at Artisphere.

Barely a day goes by that I don't see at least one QR code, if not five. From pizza boxes to the pages of magazines to ads on the subway and even in television commercials, those square barcodes (the QR stands for "quick response") are everywhere. On the content producer's end, they are a quick and easy way to link to information--most commonly, a webpage, Facebook page, or online video--requiring nothing more than cheap or even free software and a print product with a little bit of real estate. For that reason they've become ubiquitous, particularly in advertising.

Museums are starting to get into the mix as well, and more and more, I'm seeing QR codes on labels or other museum displays. But are they effective? The downside of QR codes is that the barrier to entrance for the end-user is comparatively high. In order to take advantage of a QR code, the visitor has to a) know what it is, b) have a smartphone, c) download or install a QR reader on said smartphone, and most importantly, d) be motivated to do so.

This series of posts is going to tackle two issues. In this first part, who among your visitors are using QR codes… and who aren't?

A comScore study published in August 2011 concluded that 14 million Americans scanned QR codes during the month of June. This population tended to be younger, with 53% between the ages of 18 and 34, largely male (60.5%), and comparatively wealthy, with over 36% having an annual household income of $100K or greater. (Though I highly recommend checking out the entire study if you have any interest in using QR codes at all.)

Looking at these numbers, it is clear that if your audience fits this demographic, QR codes have the potential to be a very useful tool in your toolbox. Other metrics might also be useful in determining if your audience is likely to be familiar with QR codes: if you have analytics tools (such as VisiStat or Google Analytics) for your website, how much of your website traffic from mobile browsers? If you go into the galleries, do you see people in front of your displays with their smartphones in hand?  Depending on your answers to these questions, you may find that your audience is already comfortable using QR codes.

But what about everyone else? Are the rest of us doomed to be left out of the QR craze? Not necessarily. Although 14 million is a large number, it is only a small portion of total smartphone users in the U.S., which was up to 78.5 million in June (as seen in another comScore study) and steadily growing. There is a much higher number of visitors who have the technology available to them to use QR codes, but are not for one reason or another. (See Part Two of this series for more on that.)

But in all these statistics and numbers, one thing that hasn't yet been mentioned are those who do not have access to a smartphone. It's easy to get caught up in the "ooh shiny" excitement of any new technology, but it is important to remember that the technology is just the vehicle for delivery of the message. This is doubly important when relying on visitor-provided technology to access the content. Museums have long tried to refute the perception that they are only for the upper-class, the rich, and educated.... even though smartphones are becoming more common, an over-reliance on smartphone technology to deliver content could lead those who don't have smartphones to feel excluded and unwelcome.

When considering accessibility, often the solution is to provide alternate or additional means of communicating the message. For example, in the case of QR codes, one high-tech solution is to also provide video screens or displays that can access the material linked to in the QR code--a simpler, lower-tech solution is to provide take-away materials with the QR coded links so that someone could access that information on their own time.

In part two of this series, we are going to explore this question further by looking at some approaches that can help your audience (whether they are QR savvy or not) get past some of the barriers to using QR codes that I mentioned earlier in this post. In the meantime, though, I urge you to consider your audience before jumping on any new technology bandwagon--is the technology going to help, or hinder, your message?

Introduction: Technology in Museums


It is without a doubt that technology is revolutionary. And while there are debates about whether technology enhances or impedes the process of learning, we assert that in the context of museum education, education should be at the forefront while technology follows education trends.


New paradigms are now in place concerning learning: learners move from passive to active learning and learners can create their own knowledge, publish it, and engage with the global community. According to Bill Cope and Mary Kalazntzis's article in the book, Ubiquitous Learning, (learn more about Ubiquitous Learning here), there are 7 "moves" that helps take advantage of ubiquitous learning. (The full article can also be found here). 


NOTE: the article focuses on ubiquitous computing which is defined as "the pervasive presence of computers in our lives". Ubiquitous learning is the overarching concept that learning that happen anywhere, anytime. 

1. Technology has the potential to blur traditional institutional, spatial, and temporal boundaries of education. Education can happen anywhere and at anytime. Furthermore, education is lifelong--it is not confined to a certain age group. 


2. The teacher is no longer the sole fountain of knowledge. Each learner has the capability to access information with the touch of a button. This also enables learners to move from passive to active learning.


3. In a society where we value individuality, differences (learning styles, personal backgrounds, etc.) among learners can be properly addressed and met through technology. 


4. Modes of representation are numerous thanks to technology. Educators need to understand and utilize as many modes as possible while incorporating traditional modes of learning.


5. In order to become a part of ubiquitous computing, educators must first master the language of technology in order to use it to its full potential. Therefore, ubiquitous learning helps develop conceptualizing capacities for both the educator and learners. 


6. In a world where we allow technology to do more of the thinking for us (i.e. phone remembering numbers or calculating simple math), educators will need to find new ways to evaluate learners' capacities. 


7. Ubiquitous computing makes possible peer-to-peer interactions in a global context. Anyone, anywhere, at anytime can access public information, publish comments, and start a conversation. This idea of "collective intelligence" can happen across social networks, creating inclusive and safe environments to share knowledge. 

Please stay tuned for examples from museums and our thoughts.
Please feel free to comment on our posts. Remember that this is an inclusive and safe environment where learning is encouraged!