A Box of QR Tricks

15th Oman International ELT Conference

James Scully
 QR Codes

• Quick Response Code

– Originally designed by a Toyota company to

keep track of items in the factory

– Contain information, text, URL, numbers

– Can be used online and offline

 What Do They Do?

• Most common use is with a hypertext link

to a web page, image or media file.
• A QR Code can contain a phone number –when its
scanned it prompts the user to call a particular number.
• You can encode an SMS text message, V-card data or
just plain alphanumeric text.
• Your smartphone QR reading program
will be able to choose the correct
application to use to open the content
embedded within the QR Code.

• Offline use – can contain hundreds of text characters

 Why Use QR Codes?

• Its easier than

using URLs for
websites • Less paper used
• Authentic 21C • 100% free
media in and out • Open source
of the classroom software
• Communicative • Students use their
and collaborative own phone and
• Uses a modern enjoy the activities
commercial tool
 What Can You Do
With QR Codes?

Offline Text Codes

Questions
Answers
Communication Codes
Information Gaps
eMail
SMS
vCard
Online Codes
URLs
Videos
MP3s
 Conference Themes

• Digital and virtual platforms

QR codes embrace the virtual & the digital
• Pathways to success in EFL
Students have different routes to success. Different
kinds of input suit different students. Text, aural and
physical are all supported by QR codes
• Creative pathways
Material which uses media preferred by students lead to
better engagement & students see it as more authentic.
 Scanning & Reading

iOS Android

i-nigma
http://www.i-nigma.mobi/
i-nigma
http://www.i-nigma.mobi/
Kaywa Reader Kaywa Reader
http://reader.kaywa.com/ http://reader.kaywa.com/
Barcodes Scanner QR Droid
search App Store (6th?) http://qrdroid.com//
Qrafter
Makes QR codes too
 Make a QR Code

Online is Easy!
• Many websites
• Basic features free
• Many customizations free (if you find the right site)

App: Qrafter (iOS)

Goo.gl
Chrome Addon: QRCode Monkey
 QR Generators

• Kaywa: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/dashboard/
• QR Stuff: http://www.qrstuff.com/
• QRHacker: http://qrhacker.com/
• SnippQR: http://qr.snip.com/
• QR Generator: http://goqr.me/
• The QR Code Generator: http://the-
qrcode-generator.com/
 QR Offline Text

• Simplest uses do not require the internet.

• QR Code Generator: http://goqr.me/
• Type description or question or
instruction into the box
• QR Code appears automagically.
• Download or embed button
• Choose colours/size/border/image type

Another generator:
• https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/
 QR Offline Text

• Students can

Create quiz questions

(aggregate from whole class & administer)
Create definitions
Create name-tags (selves/objects)
 QR Offline Text

• Teachers can

• Create series of questions

• Description of vocabulary items
• Description of objects
• Clues for a treasure hunt
Scavenger hunts are the classic QR activity.
• Treasure Hunt (no internet needed)
http://www.classtools.net/QR/

bit.ly/eflquiz/
 Link to A Picture

• Choose a “free to use” picture

• Right Click on the Image (not the Google thumbnail)
• Select “Copy image address” or “Copy image URL”
• Paste the image address into http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
• Select “Static” and click “Generate”
 QR Codes & Pictures

• Students can:

• Use pictures from their phones

(google+/dropbox/flickr)
• Create vocabulary item prompts
• Create object/location description
prompts
• Create photo clues for a treasure hunt
• Add QR codes to portfolios to add
 QR Codes & Pictures

• Teachers can:

• Create vocabulary item prompts

• Create object/location description
prompts
• Create photo clues for a treasure hunt
 Short URLs 1

• Google URLs are often long & impossible to remember:

• https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7gLhQy40JQ3flA5T0lFTX
B0SDF4SHNEYlBKdGhDNGtnUU96ZThYQ1NxY0ZWWFk1R3RzY
ms&usp=sharing

• I use bit.ly to make them shorter. http://bit.ly/theqrfolder

Several QR sites automatically shorten the URLs.
E.g. http://qr.snip.com

• Bit.ly also lets you make

them memorable
 Short URLs 2
• Google also has a tool for creating short links and will
automatically generate QR codes as well.

• Click “Details” to see a QR code

 QR Audio

• Recorded voice/s
http://vocaroo.com/

• Computer generated voice/s

http://qrvoice.net/
 QR Audio

• Students can:

• Record a book review and put up a QR

codes in the library for others to scan
and listen
• Record questions and link to QR codes
then administer to other students
(competition?)
 QR Audio

• Teachers can
• Describe pictures or objects for a
matching task
• Describe vocabulary items
• Record pronunciation tasks for repetition
• Record audio fragments for ordering
task
• Record students writing for error
correction exercises
 QR Video

• Copy your video link (e.g. Youtube)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0kdb
BTwF7U
• Try http://qr.snip.com/
 QR Video

• Students can:

• Record a short video (e.g. instagram)

and link to it via QR
• Record questions and link to QR codes
then administer to other students
(competition?)
• Use QR Code in portfolio to link to video
they have made
Instant Poll!
 Mobile Class Utilities

• QR codes can be used as an easy way to

link to online classroom activities.
• Quizlet: http://quizlet.com/
• Socrative: http://b.socrative.com/
• Kahoot!: http://getkahoot.com/
• Mentimeter: http://govote.at/
• Vote: http://www.demoqracy.com/
 Mobile Websites

• Use QR Codes to link to Mobile Websites

• Tapto: http://tapto.com/
• Dudamobile: http://www.dudamobile.co.uk/
• Wink: http://winktoolkit.org/
• ActiveMobi: http://activemobi.com/
The QR Folder
The End!