Read Academic Programs International (API) Materials Anywhere! QR Codes and Catalogs

This IHEC Blog post is partly a copy and paste job from a recent SECUSS-L post and from an API Blog post [posted with permission of Jeramy Johnson, VP of Development at Academic Programs International (API)].  In my opinion, API is one of the best (if not the best) in the field of study abroad in their use of new/social media tools and their announcement last week that one can read any API catalog on their smart phone solidifies this for me.  


When you see API at study abroad fairs this spring, you will have a new, high-tech option for taking reading material away. In addition to their print catalogs, they are now offering the ability to scan a QR code for each catalog of interest, which one can then view in electronic format as an e-book at their leisure!  This not only cuts down on the number of catalogs that students take away from a study abroad fair, this presents a more environmentally-friendly way to digest all of the great API program information.

QR codes are a kind of bar code which allow you to access all types of information quickly and easily from a smartphone. To do this, you will need to download an app (application) to your smartphone that is capable of reading the codes (see below).

Some good (and FREE) examples include:

iPhone QR apps -

• Neoreader
• Scanlife
• QR Scanner

Android QR apps –

• Barcode Scanner
• Scanlife

Blackberry QR apps -

• Scanlife
• QR Code Scanner Pro

When you scan one of the API catalog QR codes, you will be given a link to the PDF of that catalog on their website. Different phones handle this differently, but as long as your phone can read PDFs, you will be able to read their catalogs on your phone. Some of the above apps also allow you to open the catalog PDFs from your phone in more accessible reading programs such as Evernote and iBooks. 
Link to original API Blog post "Read API Materials Anywhere! QR Codes and Catalogs"

What Would Make a Great Smartphone App for Study Abroad?

I was thinking the other day about smart phone applications and the international educational experience.  Specifically, I wonder what features would be essential for a "study abroad" smart phone app?  There are certainly enough individual apps (most free) that make travel, living and studying easier.  What, in your opinion, would make a great study abroad app?


Some time ago, Abroad 101 put together a Top 10 iPhone Apps for the Student Abroad list and Study Abroad Blog - GIC Argentina put together a 15 iPad Apps for the Study Abroad Student list Additionally, the internationalstudent.com blog is available as an iPhone app and that is how I access this blog (get it here).


Photo credit:  http://davidcomp.wordpress.com/