QR CODE IN SCHOOL EDUCATION-OER DIGITAL CONTENT

C.PALANISAMY, M.Sc(Bot)., M.Ed., M.Phil., M.A(Yoga)., M.Sc(Psy).,PGDCA.,

Senior Lecturer, DIET, Kurukkathi, Nagapattinam District.
Dr.G.SIVAKUMAR, Asst.Professor,
College of Education, Alagappa University, Karaikudi.

ABSTRACT
School education plays a vital role in pedagogical process. Every school education
needs a standardized curriculum based on quality of education. The curriculum makes the
students to be more efficient in every aspect of life. Recently our Tamil Nadu Government
has revised the curriculum in the name of Tamil Nadu Curriculum Framework 2017 (TNCF
2017) by State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).The NCERT has
initiated the process of introducing Quick Response (QR) in the text book; same as SCERT
of our state introduce QR code from primary level to higher secondary. It is aimed for the
betterment of students understanding of lessons by watching films, songs, animated texts,
videos or reading additional contents on laptops, smart phones and digital boards. This paper
highlights the importance, benefits, utilization and enhancing the learning process through
Quick Response code. This paper introduces the available implementations of QR codes in
education. We also discuss QR codes can support both independent and collaborative
learning and that QR codes can motivate and engage learners.

KEY WORDS: Techno-class room and Quick Response (QR) codes.

INTRODUCTION

“Technology will not replace great teaches but technology in the hands o great
teachers can be transformational”-George Couros. Modern information and communication
technologies, such as mobile technologies and Quick Response (QR) codes, have great
potential to improve teaching and learning process because mobile technologies enable
learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions (Crompton, 2013).
In other words, learners can learn anytime and anywhere and learning can be personalized,
situated and authentic (Traxler, 2009).
School education plays a vital role in pedagogical process. Every school education
needs a standardized curriculum based on quality of education. The curriculum makes the
students to be more efficient in every aspect of life. Recently our Tamil Nadu Government
has revised the curriculum in the name of Tamil Nadu Curriculum Framework 2017 (TNCF
2017) by State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).The NCERT has
initiated the process of introducing Quick Response (QR) in the text book; same as SCERT
of our state introduce QR code from primary level to higher secondary. It is aimed for the
betterment of students understanding of lessons by watching films, songs, animated texts,
videos or reading additional contents on laptops, smart phones and digital boards. Through
this QR code, the teacher can facilitate the students easily and effectively. QR code meets
every kind of students.

QR CODES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

The study of QR codes in education can be placed in the context of mobile learning. It
is an open educational resource. However, QR codes are not designed in educational terms.
These two-dimensional barcodes were originally intended for tracking automobile parts in
factories but nowadays they have a much broader purpose (Shin et al., 2012). QR codes have
become widely popular because they provide a large amount of data comparatively quickly.
QR codes can contain information such as text, URL links, or other data that can
direct users to sources of further information about a particular place or subject. Users with a
camera phone equipped with a QR code reader application and Internet connection can scan
QR codes to display text, open a web page, get GPS coordinates, or perform some other
similar action (Lee et al., 2011). Because QR codes are not designed in educational terms, it
is important to see the technology as an enabler. The aim is to explore how QR codes can be
effectively integrated into teaching practices, which means the focus should therefore be
more on the learners and pedagogy than on the technology itself. For this reason the use of
the codes should promote learner-centered learning, not bind teaching and learning to
mobile technology (Zhang et al., 2010).

Techno-Classroom: Using QR Codes

Many schools are using QR codes as part of their technology in the classroom as a
way to enhance their students’ learning. What teachers love about this technology in the
classroom tool is that it’s making learning a lot more fun for students? You may have seen
QR codes before -- companies use these tiny, scrambled-looking, black-and-white boxes as
marketing tools. Essentially, these little boxes act as a shortcut to a web link when you scan
them with your smart phone. QR codes can be a great learning tool when used in the
classroom. Here we’ll take a quick look at what they’re all about, as well as how they can
enhance student learning.
What is Technology in the Classroom QR Codes all about?

Quick response codes are similar to a bar code in the sense that they provide
information to the user. When you scan a QR code, it’ll direct you to a webpage, video or
file. Teachers like to use them because they’re easier than having students type in a whole
web address. This is especially true for the younger students who tend to mistype. A QR code
will take the student directly to where the teacher wants them to go without having to type a
thing.

How Can QR Codes Enhance Learning?

QR codes can enhance learning by engaging students. They teach kids to think
differently. A great example of this comes from a school. One classroom was given the
choice to write about a book they’ve just read for a project. They could do a book report on
paper, or talk about their book on a tape recorder then link their project with a QR code for
their classmates to listen to. One school gave their students a digital make over by offering
them a book talk, versus writing a traditional old book report. By giving students choices,
they’re able to have a creative voice, which is a great way to enhance student learning.

How Can You Use QR Codes in the Classroom?

Quick Response Codes can have a place in the classroom, and there are many ways
that you can use them. Here are a few teachers’ favorite ways to use them in the classroom.

As a Read-Aloud

One of the many uses for QR codes in the classroom is as a read-aloud. All you have
to do is create a link to a book (YouTube is great for this), and the student uses her device to
scan the code to listen to the book. To make it even easier on yourself, try laminating each
QR code so students can use it time and time again. One teacher even went as far as creating
a read-aloud bulletin board, where she wrote the title of each book followed by the QR code.
This way, all students had to do is look at the bulletin board to see which book they wanted to
listen to, then scan the code to hear it on their device.

To Support Struggling Readers

QR codes can also help to support struggling readers. Many students who struggle
with reading like to read along with someone because it’s just easier for them to follow
someone instead of reading it themselves. Try making audio recordings of the material that
you want read or link to someone else reading the material.

For a Book Review

Long gone are the days of book reports. With today’s technology, teachers can create
a whole new take on the old book report. All you have to do is have each student record what
they think of the book after they’ve read it, then create a QR code to their book review and
tape the code to the back of the book. This way students in the class that are interested in
reading the book can listen to their classmate’s opinion and decide if the book is right for
them.

CONCLUSION

Education is never ending process. It starts with the birth of an individual and then it
goes on till the last day of the individual. Education equips the individual with social, moral,
cultural and spiritual aspects and thus makes life progressive. Cultured and civilized.
Education is important tool to shape human beings is the process of civilization humanness
evolves through education. This article is to explore teaching methods and processes that
incorporate Quick Response (QR) codes and mobile devices into the classroom. Quick
Response codes are two dimensional barcodes that are used to encode and decode
information. QR codes can contain information such as text, URL links, automatic SMS
messages, or just about any other information that can be embedded in a two-dimensional
barcode. This encoded data can be decoded by scanning the barcode with a mobile device
that is equipped with a camera and QR reader software.
Although QR codes are very versatile and have been around for over fifteen years,
their use in education is still in its infancy. These implementations were developed with
teachers to correspond to their needs and wishes. The students were very enthusiastic and
motivated but the teachers’ attitude was more sceptical. The main feedback from the teachers
was that the planning of QR activities is an arduous task when one is not familiar with QR
codes or the ways to utilize them. In our study we found that QR codes can support learning
in different contexts, because it is an open education resource. We also found that QR codes
can support both independent and collaborative learning and that QR codes can motivate and
engage learners.
REFERENCES

Books and Journals:

Crompton, H., 2013. A Historical Overview of M-Learning: Toward Learner-Centered
Education. In Z. Berge & L.Muilenburg (Eds.), Handbook of mobile learning (pp. 3-14).
Routledge, NewYork, USA.
Lee, J.-K. et al., 2011. Scan & Learn! Use of Quick Response Codes & Smart phones in a
Biology Field Study. The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 73, No. 8, pp. 485-492.
Shin, D-H. et al., 2012. The psychology behind QR codes: User experience perspective.
Computers in Human Behavior, 28, pp. 1417-1426.
Traxler, J. (2009). Learning in a Mobile Age. International Journal of Mobile and Blended
Learning, 1(1), 1-12. doi: 10.4018/jmbl.2009010101
Zhang, B.H. et al., 2010. Deconstructing and reconstructing: Transforming primary science
learning via a mobilized curriculum. Computers & Education, 55 (4), pp. 1504-1523.

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http://www.tnscert.org/webapp2/files/The%20Path%20Travelled.pdf