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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.
Quick response (QR) codes
Purpose: QR codes are a simple way of providing access to information. The code is a pattern of printed rectangles that can be scanned with the camera in a mobile device to link to either web sites or other sources of information. They can be used to enhance practical science by providing reminders of how to assemble apparatus, carry out a procedure or to remind users of hazards and how to minimise risks.
Teaching approach: Sometimes students need a reminder of how to carry out practical procedures, such as how to prepare cells for observation using a microscope. By attaching a QR code to class microscopes that links to an online video explaining the procedure, students who want to be reminded of the steps to be taken, can scan the code to get quick access to the video clip. This avoids having to share complex web addresses and avoids errors students sometimes make in copying web addresses into a browser. QR codes can also be created that link directly to text, such as a risk assessment, or a series of directions on how to conduct a practical activity.
Preparation: A QR code app such as ‘Qrafter’ can be used to scan QR codes and to create QR codes. To create a QR code that links to an online video clip, type the URL of the clip into the app and a code will be generated. This then needs to either be printed out, and attached to a piece of apparatus, or it could be projected onto a screen. Note that if creating a QR code that links to text (the text appears on the device screen without requiring an internet link) there is a limit to the number of characters that can be used – about 200 words maximum.
Link: The following BBC article explains a number of ways that QR codes may be used in teaching:
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