Educational use of QR Codes

Quick Response (QR) Codes were developed in 1994 by a company called Denso-Wave looking for an alternative to barcodes for the Toyota motor corporation. They contain significantly more information than barcodes and can be read and decoded by almost any mobile device with a scanner or camera function. In a little over twenty years they have become part of everyday life, from appearing on railway tickets in China, to bank notes in Nigeria and even part of gravestones in Japan! The revolution has not stopped there and they can frequently be seen in classrooms and lecture theatres across continents. This poster draws together the experiences of a significant number of undergraduate trainee teachers in their journey to use and develop QR Codes in classrooms as part of their initial teacher training. Initially based in the secondary education (11-16 years old) sector in England, it also looks at the work being undertaken that uses QR Codes to support these trainees whilst they are studying in Higher Education in pursuit of their professional qualification. In summary, the work presented here showcases good practice with real world examples, it highlights the problems and pitfalls and enables the inquisitive educator to begin their journey with QR Codes. At the same time, it offers scope and potential for seasoned users to extend and expand their use in a range of educational contexts and applications.