The last few years saw a change in the way students got to know campus. Schools adapted. They created new ways to engage with students. One of the most popular approaches was introducing or dialing up their virtual tour. Virtual tours brought campuses to the hands of students regardless of where they were in the world or when they were tuning in.

With the recent return of in-person campus tours, it’s once again time to adapt.

Brock University seized the opportunity to take their virtual tour to the next level by making this resource accessible in their physical spaces. Through a recently unveiled QR code tour, students can now access all the resources inside Brock’s virtual tour by scanning QR codes across campus. We recently caught up with Rupaali Kumar, Brock’s Recruitment Officer, Campus Visits and Outreach, to learn more about how they brought this tool to life.

Meet Brock’s self-guided QR tour

Using QR code decals across campus, Brock has designed a virtual experience in the real world. Students can scan the codes to access virtual tours of specific spaces on campus helping them understand where they are. In addition, the printed codes take students to a Brock website that highlights all the codes across campus so they can tour the university at their own pace and check out any points of interest.

Why now?

The QR code tour came to life in August, an important month for Brock as one of the hosts of the Canada Summer Games. With an influx of student athletes, parents, and spectators playing and living on campus, the QR code virtual tour offered Brock a way to introduce these visitors to their physical spaces. The coded materials helped students on campus with wayfinding and provided an introduction to Brock – a perfect way to help acclimatize guests regardless of busy schedules. Like the virtual tour, the QR code lets visitors access Brock’s story at the best time for their schedule.

Bringing the tour to life

Getting the tour up and running took teamwork. After a team brainstorm, the Brock team decided the best option for bringing the in-person guided tours to life would be to use the well-rounded resource they already had – their Circuit Virtual Tour. Working with the Circuit team, Brock devised a plan to bring the experience to life and set up specialized tours to link to the QR codes based on the locations they would be featured across campus.

Following the tour set-up, they worked with various teams on campus to finalize the project. The Marketing team developed the decal design and website links for the QR codes. Brock’s Printing Department brought the decals to life. And Facilities supported the placement of the codes across campus, focusing on accessibility and visibility of the materials.

Looking forward

While it was great to bring the tour to life in time for the Canada Summer Games crowd, Brock is looking forward to the many ways the QR code tours will support future students as the school year and recruitment season begins. Rupaali and her team are excited to use the tour to help people explore campus at their own pace.

Future uses for the project include:

- Self-guided tours for students looking to explore on their own

- Supporting large school visits with scavenger hunts to get to know campus

- Wayfinding across campus for new and prospective students

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Want to explore how you can bring a QR code tour to life in your space?

Contact our team

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