The technological revolutions in communication and information have reached an all-time high. These developments have resulted in a significant transformation in the higher learning education system- and begun to be defined by the surfacing technological advances. The era of techno culture has shaped and cultivated new means of teaching, thus, creating a new technology-based learning paradigm with the advent of online education.
But what to do with your classes or courses in cases of event interruption or unplanned events like bad weather, illness, or a global health crisis that will prevent you and your students from getting together during your standard scheduled class time? This could lead you to some severe implications in reaching your learning objectives for that particular semester.
In this article, we’ll teach you how you can put the remaining parts of your course online and how you can use QR codes to simplify everything- when it comes to providing your students with easier access to online educational materials and activities.
What is a QR code?
A QR code will lead you to different types of information when you scan it using only your smartphones in a photo mode or an installed QR reader app.
QR codes have two types: Static and Dynamic. Static QR codes do not allow you to change the URL of your QR code, while Dynamic QR code will enable you to change the URL of your QR code to another URL. QR codes are generated using a QR Code generator online where you can create different QR code features according to your needs.
What are the two types of online classes or courses?
Asynchronous Online Courses– these types of online course offerings are not happening in real-time. Learners are only provided with projects, assignments, tasks, or content (syllabus, documents, media) and are given a deadline to finish or complete course work and exams. The interaction between the teacher and students takes place through discussion boards/forums, emails, discussion guidelines, wikis, blogs podcasting, and e-portfolios. Asynchronous online learning milieu is preferable for students with busy schedules or time constraints.
Synchronous Online Courses– these types of online classes are taking place in real-time from a distance. Student/s and a teacher is interacting online simultaneously. Participants in these kinds of courses can communicate through text, audio chats, and videos.
How can you use QR Codes in your online teaching?
Help your students to be more prepared- Even before your online class has already started, you can print a PDF QR Code to let your students know beforehand what will be the discussion for the next days. This equips your learners to review or study and gets them prepared for the subject. This also saves from excessive paper usage and printing that will- later on- be discarded.
Using a PDF QR Code, your students can quickly scan the code and save the digital version of the syllabus straight to their smartphones and even share it with their fellow learners right away. Moreover, if you have an additional document for them to study, you only have to update your PDF QR code anytime without generating a different QR code.
Simplify reports– you can link the QR code to reference materials and let them access online content like videos, articles, or websites. This would allow students to understand difficult topics faster and better. You can even distribute QR codes that would link to more practice materials.
Access help for students- QR codes can serve as a learning aid for struggling students too. For example, if they have trouble solving a Math problem and getting stuck at research, you can send them out a QR code that links to sources that will assist and guide your students to get things done. Using a QR code, you can redirect them to video tutorials or any content that might be of help to them, even if you do not see each other physically.
Simplify projects– Have your students work, outputs, projects, and reports generated through a QR code and send it to you online. This is much a quicker process for everybody than having to receive piles of a document. Using a single QR code, it will have their entire outputs roll into one.
Go eco-friendly– QR codes eliminate paper usage, thus allowing you to be environment-friendly!
Turn printed words into an audio file- Not everyone has the same learning styles. Some may prefer to read, watch videos, or get into physical activities while some people learn best through listening. By integrating an MP3 QR code as one of your learning strategies, you’re giving your students the choice whether they would like to listen or read teaching materials.
It’s always about flexibility in teaching and providing them the best possible choices of what may suit them best to learn. Moreover, you can also do a podcast so students can learn more about a subject matter. It’s all about adapting different kinds of teaching methods in your class.
More organization of your materials- As you do not need to keep lots of documents printed or online, this allows you more to organize your materials smoothly. A single QR code can facilitate it all for you.
Improve your way of teaching or the teaching environment- one way you can improve your quality of teaching even by distance is having feedback from your students even if your miles apart. You can link the QR code to a feedback form that will collect your students’ evaluation, getting their opinion, and involving them of what they have to say. It is also one way to connect with your learners, develop your teaching strategy and interact with them, even though the learning environment is taking place in the online world.
Check Students Work– creating a QR Code answer key for learners to check their work after an activity will make it easier for you and for them instead of having to do it all by yourself manually. This also makes room for less error, as you will have more time to double-check on the answer key before distributing it to your online class.
Make announcements through a Video QR code- if you have an important announcement for your students, you can make a video QR code on it. You can change and update the video behind your QR code using Dynamic ones.
Conclusion:
Creating content and spaces online for your students to interact and making it even more simplified using QR codes will make your life and your students life more manageable, improved, and more accessible than ever. Making your online resources quickly available through QR Codes is a lot more efficient than having to copy paste and sharing long URL’s. Moreover, the best thing about QR codes is that- it offers a multi-channel communication! It connects efficiently and accurately despite being separated from a distance.
QR codes are not only useful in education, be it online or in a traditional classroom set-up. You can use them as a part of a more extensive process such as advertising, marketing, business you name it. Its use-cases come in unlimited edition in all types of sector.
There are a various QR Code generators online where you can create your QR code, but the Best QR Code generator that offers you different kinds of QR code features is the ideal one to use.
