Mobile Land: Use of qr Codes in the Classroom

Have you seen one of these on your McDonald's or Starbucks products lately? 

When I first saw a qr code it reminded me of a magic eye puzzle. You know the ones that used to be in the newspaper and your parent, grandmother or friend would cut it out and tell you to "cross your eyes" or "tilt your head" so you could see the hidden image? Well, that's not how a qr code works, so stop holding it close and then far from your face. You look silly.

Qr stands for quick response. A qr code is a scan-able image that serves as a link to a website, a forum or really any other type of online content. In order to use a qr code, a smartphone user needs to download a qr code reader or scanner from their app store. The scanner works similarly to a grocery store check-out scanner.

Businesses are adding qr codes to their merchandise to provide customers with a link to nutritional facts, recipe ideas, contest applications, and even feedback surveys. Qr codes are also popping up in the educational world where teachers use them for quick access to websites, mobile friendly calendars, and to make the classroom a little greener.

Qr codes help teachers provide students access to websites in a faster way. Some websites have URL addresses that are quiet long with odd combinations of numbers and letters. Students waste precious instruction or activity time when they are required to manually enter a site's URL. Requiring the student to visit several different sites means several different URL addresses. Qr codes also provide an alternative to having students log on to a wikispace or learning management system as a intermediate step before accessing web content.

Teachers can use qr codes to make their classrooms and activities greener by using less paper. Qr codes on worksheets can route students to helpful websites, a tutorial or a supplemental video. They can also take the place of paper heavy activities such as a "ticket out the door" by having students scan the qr code that matches their answer.

Kelly Walsh, from Emerging Ed Tech, complied a list of 25 fun ways to use qr codes in the classroom and the ideas are from teachers that are actually using qr codes! Teachers suggest using qr codes as a way to communicate with students and parents about due dates through an online calendar. Other ideas include using qr codes as hot spots around a classroom for students that finish their activities and need extension work. One way I use qr codes in the classroom is to route students who wish to re-take a test to an online Google Forum. They fill out my re-take survey (did you study, where you absent for a lecture, did you take notes, etc.) and they can even schedule their re-take.

Creating your own qr code is fairly easy. No need to draw your own magic eye design! There are several free qr code generators available online. You can even create qr codes for MP3 files and images. Use the qr code above to check out Karen Mensing's TedEd talk on The Magic of QR codes in the Classroom.

Will qr codes revolutionize your classroom? Maybe. Are qr codes just another fad that doesn't accomplish anything new? Probably yes. But they do make you and your classroom more tech-savvy and there is always the chance that they increase student engagement. Most students have smartphones capable of scanning qr codes and rather than fighting them to put away their phones, this is one way we can embrace them.