Smart objects such as RFID, QR codes, and smart cards were discussed as emerging technologies for higher education with potential uses in 4-5 years. RFID uses radio waves to transmit data from tags to readers. QR codes contain text and URLs accessed by camera phones. Smart cards function like credit cards with embedded chips. Challenges to implementation include security, privacy, costs, and changing mindsets. Opportunities exist to expand learning and teaching through applications that address issues as technologies evolve rapidly.

1. Smart Objects in Higher Ed
emerging technology
By Connie Hackathorn

2. Technology Overview
Smart objects
• RFID: Radio Frequ ency
Identification
• QR Codes : Quick Res pons e
• Smart Cards
Time-to-Adoption
• 4-5 years

3. RFID
Radio Frequency Identification:
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a type of
automatic identification s ys tem. The purpos e of an
RFID s ys tem is to enable data to be trans mitted by
a portable device, called a tag, which is read by an
RFID reader and proces s ed according to the needs
of a particular application.

4. QR Codes
Quick Response Codes:
QR codes are two-dimens ional bar codes that can
contain any alphanumeric text and often feature
URLs that direct us ers to s ites where they can
learn about an object or place (a practice known as
“ mobile tagging” ). Decoding s oftware on tools s uch
as camera phones interprets the codes , which
repres ent cons iderably more information than a
one-dimens ional code of s imilar s ize.

5. Smart Cards
Smart Cards:
A Smart card looks like a credit card but carries information
on a digital chip on it. It has embedded electronic circuitry
which enables information to be passed that can either open
hotel doors, give entry to bank accounts and even allow access
to satellite channels on a receiver. It is likened to a simple
computer where an intelligent card can pick up, store and
process data.

6. Potential Audience
Target Audience:
For the purpose of this presentation, the potential end-user
would be an adult learner, age 18+. They would be in college/
university or in industry. On the lower end of the age scale,
assimilation would be more seamless than on the higher end
of the age scale due to the level of comfort with new
technology. In asynchronous learning, acceptance and ability
to adapt to new technologies in the learning process would be
key.

7. Intent of Learning
Integration
Intent of Integration
The intent is to utilize smart objects, more specifically, QR
codes to provide sensing mechanisms that allow students and
teachers to connect in ways they cannot now. Although
adoption is 4-5 years out, the technology may continue to
grow and evolve to where students can interact in what feels
like a face-to-face encounter – allowing for greater in-depth
engagement.

8. Content and Context
Content and Context
It is in the s ens ing capacity that potentially reveals promis e
in the thought that s omeday, compu ters in all us es or facets
might create a s tronger hu manis tic connection than enables
the us ers to imitate what comes natu rally. It is in this
context that clas s rooms may actu ally feel as thou gh there
are clas s mates next to each other – where convers ation and
interaction reaches beyond the compu ter s creen.
The ability to affect content will be totally reliant on how
advanced QR codes become between today and the time of
adoption.
Given the rapid advances in compu ter technology, there is
hope.

9. RFID
Other Applications
RFID:
RFID tags come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some examples
are:
• Hard plastic anti-theft tags attached to merchandise in stores.
• Animal tracking tags which are implanted beneath the skin of family pets
or endangered species are no bigger than a small section of pencil lead.
• Embedded within the fibers of a national currency.
RFID systems are rapidly becoming the preferred technology for keeping
tabs on people, pets, products, and even vehicles. Also, the tags can be
read from a distance and through a variety of substances such as snow,
fog, ice, or paint, where barcodes have proved useless.

10. QR codes
Other Applications
QR Codes :
• In Japan, where they are us ed for commercial tracking,
logis tics , inventory con− trol, and advertis ing.
• Their popular− is climbing in Europe, the United States , and
ity
Canada as people in− creas ingly us e mobile phones to acces s 3G
networks .
• In England, a grant-funded venture led by Andy Rams den at
Bath Univers ity inves tigates ways to us e QR codes in academic
s et−
tings . As other ins titutions have s igned on to the effort,
Rams den has conducted “ idea factories ” (brains torming
s es s ions ) at thos e campus es , res ulting in a number of propos ed
us es for QR codes , including putting them into library books
with the renewal phone number encoded (Univers ity of
Glouces ter) or putting them in equipment rooms where they
might be s canned to acces s a how-to manual (Univers ity of
Leices ter). Some s ee potential in us ing QR codes to direct
s tudents to RSS feeds or lecture podcas ts .

11. Smart Cards
Other Applications
Smart Cards:
• Dish Network - to enable access to channels
• Banks – to store and access bank accounts/information. A debit card would be a
good example
• Hotels – to enable access to rooms
• Military
• Universities – to store information about library, food, residential halls, etc. of
students
• According to www.wired.com, Cisco launched a consortium for Smart Objects
where “Smart objects are objects in the physical world that - typically with the help
of embedded devices - transmit information about their condition or environment
(e.g., temperature, light, motion, health status) to locations where the information
can be analyzed, correlated with other data and acted upon. Applications range
from automated and energy-efficient homes and office buildings, factory
equipment maintenance and asset tracking to hospital patient monitoring and safety
and compliance assurance.”

12. Issue in Implementation
• Security – Smart Cards can be vulnerable to fraud
• Privacy - RFID specifically creates ethical/privacy issues, infringing on
rights and presenting a “big brother” environment.
• Potential IT challenges – Cost of implementation specific to the application
the smart object is used – including human and budget resources.
• Policies must be in place to use with new technology tied with IT directives.
• Training – Critical processes and procedures must be in place for faculty
and student in order to ensure implementation is successful
• Mindsets or mental blocks to something new – related to age or paradigm of
learner
• Cost of Technology - RFID tags are not widely used in consumer products
because the price of the tags is still prohibitively expensive. However, as
companies push for enhanced means of tracking products and profiling
consumers, the increased demand and production of RFID technologies will
drive down prices. Other smart objects may mirror this.

13. Conclusion
Implementing new technology like smart
objects into higher education will present not
only new challenges, but new opportunities to
expand our learning and teaching potential.
As technology grows exponentially, the
applications that are affected will continually
be perfected to alleviate issues related to them.
Technology is ever-evolving.

14. Websites/Resources
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7046.pdf
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/DEC0004.pdf
http://www.educause.edu/blog/llarsen/BigBrotherDilemmaNotes/16
http://www.wired.com
http://epic.org/privacy/rfid/#introduction