Creating QR codes is now easier than ever with 1 click QR-code creation available in Google Chrome Browser. It literally took me 20 seconds to demonstrate how to create one (see the tutorial below). If you’re not using Chrome browser, my other favourite site for making QR codes is The QR code generator.
What are QR Codes?
QR stands for Quick Response. These “barcodes” store information so that you can scan them with your device and quickly access information. We usually use them to direct students and teachers to online resources, like a website or video.
3 Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom
Add media to an assignment
If you want students to quickly access a video or website from their mobile device, add a QR code to their assignment handout. For example, if your students use cell phones or tablets in the classroom, you can easily put a QR code on a paper handout for them to scan with the device and quickly get started with their task, rather than typing in a URL. This is particularly handy for young learners and for longer URLs that can be tricky to type.
Include a QR Code on a Poster
This works whether students are designing a digital poster or print poster and I’ve done it with all ages. The idea is to present the main details and facts on your digital poster, timeline or graphic and then invite the audience to scan a QR code for more details. The QR code might link to a existing online resource or a student-created resource such as an audio recording, website or video.
My students have used this when they created reminder tags to promote the use of reusable bags and wanted people to know more about their project. My husband’s students created a timeline in their school hallway and included QR codes to scan for more details about the events on the timeline. One of my colleagues had her students create audio recordings about important activists they were representing in their wax museum and people visiting their display could scan QR codes on posters around the room to get more information about each person (read more about it here). I’ve also seen students include them on other types of presentations and displays to allow their audience to get additional information about their topic.
Quick Access for Research
Especially in early years, the task of typing in full URLs or conducting web searches can be challenging, especially on a tablet/iPad. Creating QR codes for online resources lets students scan the code to quickly access the book, video or website that relates to their research.
Share your ideas
How are you using QR codes in the classroom? Share your idea with us on social by tagging @kgeducation.ca on Instagram or Facebook or @LeahO77 on Twitter!
More ideas from our community
Kerri, a member of our book club, shares the following additional ideas for using QR codes in the classroom:
- a poster on the wall with my class website and my email address with a QR code for students who don’t want to keep typing it in
- have students hand in projects with QR codes to their sources
- for one project, a student discussed a location and framed it all as a plane ticket with 5 QR codes to take me to different pieces of info and pictures
- use QR codes as a way to sign in and out of the classroom for bathroom and locker runs, attached to a Google doc
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