Augmenting Classroom Practices With QR Codes

The use of mobile devices in the language classroom can help accomplish innumerable learning objectives, yet many teachers regard smartphones and tablets as obstacles to lesson goals. However, as portable technology continues to infiltrate classroom boundaries, it is becoming increasingly clear that educators should find ways to take advantage of mobile devices’ enormous educative potential. Quick response (QR) codes, a type of matrix barcode, offer a simple solution to educators’ concerns. By creating these scannable codes, educators allow students to quickly and easily engage with relevant online materials, including videos, podcasts, images, and more. In doing so, the separation between the classroom and the “real world” is blurred, and students become more accountable for their own learning by applying their language skills to a wide variety of English stimuli using their personal devices. After reviewing the benefits of mobile assisted language use (MALU), this article introduces practical resources for creating and scanning QR codes and outlines a multi-part lesson that incorporates QR codes. The article also presents a variety of successful, classroom-tested ideas for integrating QR codes into collaborative and communicative lessons.