A Use for QR Codes in Education

I recently installed the (FREE!) iPhone app i-nigma on my phone, and I have been enjoying playing around with it. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a QR code reader. Here is a quick description of QR codes from prepressure.com:

A QR or Quick Response code is a two-dimensional barcode. These are often used for adding web links to a printed page. When you scan such a QR bar code using a web cam or mobile phone camera, the QR reader application takes you to a Web site, a YouTube video or some other web content. QR codes are an easy way of sending people to a site without having to type a URL.

After toying with the codes for a bit, I had an idea for using them in education. The Fine Arts teachers in my school often display student work on the walls. We even have an art show every spring. QR codes can add another dimension to the traditional display. We can have students make a web page to go along with their pieces. The page can include, among other things, a written reflection on the work by the student who created it. The nice thing about this is that it integrates writing and technology into the arts curriculum. The students can then create a QR code to link to the web page and paste it next to their displayed work to enhance the experience of the audience viewing it. It is a very convenient means of allowing the people looking at the work to easily learn more about it. All the person needs is to have a QR code reader installed on his/her smartphone.

The other idea I had has to do with going paperless. We have several performances throughout the year, including four different plays/musicals. A program is made for each of these, and hundreds of them are printed each time. QR codes allow us to drastically cut the number of copies needed. Instead, we can digitize the programs, put them online, and generate a QR code to link to them. Rather than handing out paper copies of the program to everyone, we can post a few copies of the QR code on the wall so that willing audience members can scan them and go right to the digital version. As an added bonus, they can see a much more interactive version of the program than is possible with a hard copy.

Reflections on a Year of Teaching with Video-Lectures

As I explained in an earlier post, I embarked on a new method of teaching this past year (new to me, that is). The course consisted of mostly 10th graders in Algebra II/Trig. Instead of lecturing to my students during class, I delivered the lecture content to them via video. Their homework most nights was to watch the lecture and then solve some basic-level problems. The contents of the videos were introductions to the concepts that served the purpose of familiarizing the students with the terminology and the mechanics, for the most part. I also included guided examples with instructions for the students to pause while they worked on them. (You can view the videos here.) Of course I needed some kind of “proof” that each student watched the videos, so I required them to take detailed notes.

By now, you might be wondering how I spent my class time with the students. Well, I began every day assessing what the students took from the video by working on a couple of problems with them as a group. We then moved into a more detailed discussion of the topic, analyzing it from many different angles, including proofs and validation. Thrown into the mix were tons of cool problems. I mostly served as a sort of learning coach; class time was very student-centered.

Looking back at it all, I can say that it was mostly a success. On my part, it was extremely time-consuming, however. I really enjoyed making the videos, though; I do love to explain math concepts. I also had to be very good about planning ahead of time so that there would be a video ready when it was needed. (I made them a few days before they were assigned).

On the last day of class, I decided to hand out a survey to the students so that I could get feedback from them about how the year went. According to their responses overall, they really liked the structure of the course. Here are some of their comments.

“I really liked them because I think it’s a much more efficient use of time to be learning at home and practicing/diving deeper into the concepts in class.”

“The videos allow students to go completely at their own pace, which is great.”

“They were a little long, but completely worth it, so don’t change that.”

“I liked how it prepared us for what to do in class, so class time was well-spent.”

“I had to do my math HW at home; I couldn’t bring it with me anywhere.”

"You can't ask a video questions." This was the biggest downside to it all. If I do this again (I might not be teaching the same course next year), I will attempt to remedy this situation by giving students extra credit for posting questions to the blog. I will also award extra credit to the student who correctly answers the question. Hopefully, it will generate discussions online that the students can learn from. What will the extra credit points be used toward? As of yet, I have no idea.

"If you don't understand something, you could replay that part as many times as necessary."

"It helped. It was much easier to learn through the videos than through the standard way of teaching."

"The videos were very clear and organized."

"They are not always 100% clear, but it was easy to clarify in class."

"Some of the examples were a little too easy."

There was one student for whom this was not effective: "I prefer the lectures in class because they are less time-consuming and I learn the material better. I can't ask a video questions."

At the end of the survey was a question that asked the students to rate the use of videos, with 1 being "Don't every use this as a means of delivering lectures again" and 10 being "This is the absolute best way to deliver course lectures." The average out of 26 students was 8.9, with a low score of 3 (the student who made the last comment above).

I welcome any comments/suggestions.

This year I have been experimenting with a new technique of teaching my Algebra II students. It seems to be going quite well. It goes something like this. Instead of lecturing on a new topic during class, I create a video of the lecture using a tablet PC and Camtasia Studio. Each lecture lasts around 7 to 10 minutes. I upload the lecture to several locations, including my podcast csusmathvideos, and I assign the video as homework. When the students come to class the lecture portion is over, so I get to spend all of my time with them working on cool problems. The students love it because they can pause during the lecture to take notes, or rewind the video if they don't understand a particular step. Here is a collection of my videos; my primary host is blip.tv since they don't have the 10 minute cap that YouTube does (that I sometimes go over).