SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -Â In an effort to engage today’s tech-savvy students and parents even more, Wittenberg University has launched the first-of-its-kind Smart Phone Campus Tour using Quick Response (Q.R.) codes as the innovative platform.
Featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education and spearheaded by the Offices of Admission and Alumni Relations in partnership with Knowble Media, a new start-up digital media and strategy company with specific expertise in higher education, Wittenberg’s Smart Phone Tour offers an interactive user experience, which gives the traditional campus tour a new edge.
“When someone scans one of the codes placed around campus, a mobile website is activated, which displays general information about the building the person is visiting,” said Karen Hunt, director of admission. “In so doing, the user sees a range of options, which, when accessed, bring the story of Wittenberg to life through that particular facility or landmark.”
In some places, the information presented will be accompanied by audio, video and photos of the location. For example, when a user scans the Q.R. code affixed to Wittenberg’s oldest campus building, Myers Hall, and then selects the audio feature, the sound of a galloping horse is heard followed by Civil War gunfire as the student-narrated story about the legendary ghost of the hall unfolds.
While the project is geared heavily toward prospective students, it is also intended for the whole campus community to access. Users simply download the free scanning app per their respective device and then scan the codes of their choice. The process works in a similar manner to how a device reads a barcode. The Q.R. codes, which measure roughly 3x5 inches and appear as decals around campus, are easily visible along Wittenberg’s tour route, and the plan is to expand the offerings available through such codes.
“Later this summer, we want to offer members of the campus community the opportunity to receive a Q.R. code for placement on their bulletin board or office door,” explained Linda Beals, director of alumni relations. “This personalized code can then be used by students or colleagues to access the person’s website immediately, send an e-mail or leave a voicemail without having to type a single keystroke.”
Prospective students visiting campus Aug. 3-4 as part of the Ohio Six Tour have been among the first to try out the new interactive tour.“We are excited to offer this option,” Hunt said. “Not only does it enhance our guided tours, but it also allows us to use technology to reach out to our stealth visitors, and tell our story in a fresh, innovative way at any time of the day.”
Written By: Karen Gerboth
Photos By: Dan McInnis
