Chrome Can: QR Codes

QR Codes which is short for Quick Response Codes were first invented and used in the automotive manufacturing industry to help keep track of parts and shipment. However, now they are used in many industries. They can be found on product packaging, in inserts inside the product packaging, on business cards, and other marketing material. They provide a quick and easy way to get to important information. What makes QR Codes so great is their versatility. Every smartphone has apps which make scanning QR Codes a breeze, in fact scanning QR Codes has become so commonplace that scanners are now built into almost all phones. iPhone users can use the camera app to scan them, Android users have several options, Google Lens which is built into the Google Assistant and the Google camera app can also scan them. There are also several applications available on the various app stores for smartphones and tablets. However you scan it, QR Codes are a much bigger part of our current society.

Even educators make use of these great little codes in their classrooms. One of the ways that educators use QR Codes is in a scavenger hunt. I have personally used this method in an AR/VR course that I taught a couple of summers ago. This activity was used to test the automatic translation capabilities of signs in the Google Translate App. My students had to use their smartphones to scan a sign written in a foreign language using the Google Translate App. They then had to write down the translation. After they finished they had to use a QR Code Scanner App to scan a QR Code that had a clue as to where they needed to go next in the hunt. The students had a blast in this experiential learning activity that taught them the capabilities of two different application that interact with our real world. More great ways to use these tools in the classroom can be found here. You can also try a QR Code out yourself by scanning the code below.

To make the QR Code Scavenger hunt I used a QR Code generator. There are several generators available. My two favorite generators are The QR Code Generator and QR-Code-Generator. The best QR Code Generator and Scanner available for Chromebooks called The QR Code Generator can be found in the Chrome Web Store. The reason I say this is the best one for Chromebooks is that it not only enables you and your students to create QR Codes, it also allows you to scan them using your Chromebook. The QR Code Generator is also a web app so it can be used on any computer that has a web camera attached.

There are also several generators available as Chrome extensions. Making a QR Code is as easy as clicking an icon while on a website you want the kids to visit or by typing in the message/question you want them to read. After the QR Code has been generated all you need to do is make a screenshot of the code. Remember to rename the file so you know what the code is for.

If you have a classroom with Chromebooks as your main device, have no fear, you can still use QR Codes to help make your classroom more engaging!

Thanks for reading

Dr. Shannon H. Doak