QR CODES

QR Codes in the Classroom

Jamie B. Nicholson
Kennesaw State University
12/9/2013
Advisor: Jo Williamson
Enrollment Date: Spring 2013

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PART A: CAPSTONE PROPOSAL OUTLINE AND ACCEPTANCE

Setting/Context: I am going to complete this capstone experience at an elementary
school in Cobb County School District. I will primarily be working with the first grade
team, but I will occasionally go to the other grade levels. The classrooms will be mixed
as EIP model classroom and regular education classrooms. In first grade, some of the
classrooms will even be inclusion classrooms with gifted education students. The school
has access to 2 computer labs, 2 iPad carts, 1 netbook cart, and 1 iPod cart. The
classrooms are also equipped with 3 desktop computers and teachers have all been
assigned a laptop for use. The classrooms are equipped with promethean boards and
projectors. The demographics information for the SY13-14 for the school is as follows:
Total PK K

114 1

17

22

17

18

25

14

23 0

Female

Hispanic

Female

Black

Female

American Indian

0 0

Female

Two or More Races

1 0

Female

Pacific Islander

0 0

Female

Asian

3 0

Female

White
Sub Total(Female)

9 0
150 1

4
30

1
29

2
23

0
20

0
30

2
17

Male

Hispanic

123 2

26

26

14

17

20

18

Male

Black

29 0

10

Male

American Indian

0 0

Male

Two or More Races

3 0

Male

Pacific Islander

0 0

Male

Asian

2 1

Male

White
Sub Total(Male)

4 0
161 3

1
33

0
37

0
20

2
21

1
23

0
24

School Total(1052)

311 4

63

66

43

41

53

41

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The stakeholders to be affected by this capstone experience are the students and the
certified teachers in the building. I have received permission to ask for teacher
involvement from those teachers and administration. Because the school already has
the technology available for this capstone experience, I didnt need to ask for
permission for much more. I did, however, ask if it was ok for me to be completing my
capstone at the school and it was approved. I will need certified staff members to
participate in the capstone and be willing to implement projects that I have created. I will
also be asking them to evaluate the created projects and give a basic reflection on how
the project went.

3. Capstone Problem and Rationale:

The reason why I decided to create a capstone centered on QR codes is because at my
school we have iPads that are not being utilized to their full potential. By centering the
capstone strictly on QR codes, I can help the teachers become proficient in the use of
this free, QR code reader app, and help them see the potential for learning with the
iPads. The literature I found on QR codes states many ideas on how to use these codes
in the classroom. The ideas are so numerous it is hard to deny that this will be a useful
tool to teach my coworkers about. In this 21st century, our students are growing up with
some of the best technology the world has seen. It is foolish to think that this technology
doesnt belong in the classroom too. For schools that have invested in iPads or tablets
as learning tools or allow their students to bring in their own devices (BYOD), QR codes
have proven to be a great timesaver for sharing links and distributing information en

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masse. Projecting large QR codes on a screen so they can be scanned from around the
class makes it easy for students to access the same content on their own devices and
interact with it individually instead of passively looking at the interactive whiteboard.
Scanning also eliminates the possibility they may type in a URL incorrectly and waste
time troubleshooting. Printing out multiple QR codes, cutting them up and putting them
around the room, adding them to worksheets or including them in homework tasks can
lend themselves to a variety of engaging activities which cater to students different
learning styles. (Dale, Exploring the Educational Potential of QR Codes) As the
literature reads, there are many great uses for QR codes in the classroom. Crawfords
article suggest activities like the students going on a scavenger hunt, using QR codes at
Parent-Teacher Conferences, and linking books and the internet. In each article I read,
there were new and great ideas on how to use this wonderful tool in the classroom.
However, I found actual research to be lacking when it came to the results seen with QR
codes. Of course, there were teachers commenting on the success they have had in
their classrooms with QR codes, but there is no real data on that success. So with my
capstone project, I am hoping to collect such data and be able to share it online. It is
important to have the data to backup this tool.

4. Objectives/Deliverables:
Objectives:

Help certified teachers become more comfortable using iPads in their classroom.

Help certified teachers become more proficient with the use of iPads to learn in their
classrooms.

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Give students more varied experiences with the iPads.

Show teachers the possibility for learning with the iPads.

Allow the students to showcase their skills through the use of technology.

Deliverables:

Plan several professional development presentations on QR codes to be given to the

teachers in steps as we progress through the project.

Obtain feedback about the professional development presentations.

Create lessons using QR codes and have teachers implement the lessons in their
classrooms.

Obtain feedback from teachers and students about the lessons completed in their
classrooms.

Make myself available for one-on-one assistance or model lessons.

Implement lessons in my own classroom and share the students learning with the staff.

5. PSC Standards:
1.1 Shared Vision
Candidates facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision for the use of technology in
teaching, learning, and leadership. (PSC 1.1/ISTE 1a)
1.4 Diffusion of Innovations & Change
Candidates research, recommend, and implement strategies for initiating and sustaining technology
innovations and for managing the change process in schools. (PSC 1.4/ISTE 1d)
2.1 Content Standards & Student Technology Standards
Candidates model and facilitate the design and implementation of technology-enhanced learning
experiences aligned with student content standards and student technology standards. (PSC 2.1/ISTE 2a)
2.3 Authentic Learning
Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic
learning experiences. (PSC 2.3/ISTE 2c)
2.6 Instructional Design
Candidates model and facilitate the effective use of research-based best practices in instructional design
when designing and developing digital tools, resources, and technology-enhanced learning experiences.
(PSC 2.6/ISTE 2f)

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3.2 Managing Digital Tools and Resources

Candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences.
(PSC 3.2/ISTE 3b)
3.3 Online & Blended Learning
Candidates develop, model, and facilitate the use of online and blended learning, digital content, and
learning networks to support and extend student learning and expand opportunities and choices for
professional learning for teachers and administrators. (PSC 3.3/ISTE 3c)
3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources
for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
4.1 Digital Equity
Candidates model and promote strategies for achieving equitable access to digital tools and resources and
technology-related best practices for all students and teachers. (PSC 4.1/ISTE 5a)

4.2 Safe, Healthy, Legal & Ethical Use

Candidates model and facilitate the safe, healthy, legal, and ethical uses of digital information and
technologies. (PSC 4.2/ISTE 5b)
4.3 Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness
Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to support diverse student needs,
enhance cultural understanding, and increase global awareness. (PSC 4.3/ISTE 5c)
5.2 Professional Learning
Candidates develop and implement technology-based professional learning that aligns to state and national
professional learning standards, integrates technology to support face-to-face and online components,
models principles of adult learning, and promotes best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. (PSC
5.2/ISTE 4b)
5.3 Program Evaluation
Candidates design and implement program evaluations to determine the overall effectiveness of
professional learning on deepening teacher content knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skills and/or
increasing student learning. (PSC 5.3/ISTE 4c)
6.3 Field Experiences
Candidates engage in appropriate field experiences to synthesize and apply the content and professional
knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in these standards. (PSC 6.3)

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6. Project Description. Narrative:

Starting in January 2014, I will begin my capstone project on QR codes in the classroom.
In an attempt to get teachers excited and in turn have more participants in my project, I
will hold a professional development presentation for the staff. The presentation will go
through some of the possibilities that QR codes hold for our students learning and I will
tailor it to our own students and make it impactful without being overwhelming. In the
weeks immediately following this presentation, I will begin recruiting teachers to take
part in my project and asking them to take a short survey on their technology knowledge,
familiarity with QR codes, and finally how they would like to use the QR codes in their
classroom (a lesson).
Next, I will give myself time to write lessons for these teachers to implement. It is my
goal to collaboratively plan with the teachers, but if schedules dont match up I will use
their survey responses to plan a lesson I feel would benefit their classroom. Once the
lesson is written, I will sit with the teacher and go over it with her/him. If they are feeling
very worried about implementing all of the technology I will offer to implement the plan
with them, but it would have to be during my own planning time. I believe that the
teachers who are interested in these QR codes lessons will have enough technology
experience that me having to teach with them wont happen often. As the lessons begin,
I will be gathering data from the teachers and students. The data will include interest
level in lesson, learning level (mini quiz at end of lesson), engagement in the lesson,
and more.
Then, in March I will give another professional development presentation that will
include data from the lessons that have been implemented already. I will try and recruit

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more teachers with this presentation of data. If some teachers who have implemented
lessons already are willing to speak a little about their experience with the lesson, I will
ask them to share with the staff during this presentation as well. During March, I will
also write assessments for teachers to give on the topic area they covered with their QR
code lessons. What would be really great is if a teacher uses QR lessons as a remedial
lesson or review and we can compare the assessment data to the lesson without QR
codes and the one with QR codes. Not every lesson will need to be this way, but I feel
like this type of data will have a big impact on my project.
Finally, in April and May I will start compiling all the data, finish any lesson
implementations, and give the final survey to teachers on QR codes. It will be the same
QR code survey that I gave in the first presentation and I am going to compare the
teachers answers and see how the schools feelings toward technology in the
classroom have changed. I will give one last final presentation in May to the entire staff.
I will present final data, student feelings towards QR codes, teacher feelings towards
QR codes, and other information that is observed during the project that I cant now
predict.

b. Timeline:
January 2014-

January 2014-

February 2014-

February 2014-

March 2014-

present 1
professional
development
presentation on QR
codes.

recruit teachers to
be a part of my
capstone project.
Have teachers sign
up for lessons.

begin writing
lessons for teachers
to implement
according to the
need they wrote
down on the sign up
sheet.

teachers will be
implementing
lessons and
getting/giving
feedback. I will use
the feedback to
make future lessons
better.

present 2
professional
development
presentation on QR
codes with recent
data from
classrooms and new
ways to use QRs in
the classroom.

March 2014-

April 2014-

May 2014-

continue writing,
implementing, and

with the teachers

who have been

give final
presentation with

st

nd

Rough
draft of a

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getting feedback on
lessons. Write
assessments for
teachers to give in
the focus areas of
the QR lessons.

9
implementing the
lessons, give them a
survey on needs,
wants, and
observations of
lessons.

the data that was

collected from
teachers and
students who
participated.

timeline.

c. Resources:
iPads (secure by signing up for the use of iPads a week in advance)

Free QR code reader apps for the iPads (secure by installing on all iPads with help from
media specialist)

Headphones for iPads (secure by counting how many we have and find missing ones)

Internet connection/WiFi (secure by doing all lessons on school grounds)

QR code creator websites: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ , http://goqr.me/ ,
http://keremerkan.net/qr-code-and-2d-code-generator/ , and more. (secure by checking to
make sure CCSD does not block these websites at school.)

PowerPoint for creation of presentations (secure by using CCSD laptops with preloaded
Microsoft Office programs)

Microsoft Word for creation of lessons, rubrics, and surveys (secure by using CCSD
laptops with preloaded Microsoft Office programs)

Teachers willing to implement lessons in their classrooms and provide feedback

on the lessons and results of the lessons. (secure by asking teachers who are interested
to sign a sign-up sheet that will include their signature and the type of lesson they would like to
incorporate QR codes into and also have them sign up for a date on a calendar provided by me
with available dates and times)

Students who will be active participants in lessons and also provide feedback on
their opinion of the lesson and what they learned. (secure by creating a student friendly
survey)

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7. Evaluation Plan. Narrative:

In order to show that I met my objectives I am going to use two different tools. For my
objective of QR codes affecting student learning, I am going to ask the teachers to do a
review lesson with the QR codes. This way I will be able to compare the previous
summative assessment to the assessment given after the QR code lessons. By creating
the evaluations this way, I hope to gain more concrete data that proves or disproves the
effectiveness of QR codes. I am trying to make it as fair and concrete as possible. For
my objective of getting more teachers teaching with technology, I will have a survey for
them to fill out twice. The first time will be at the very beginning of the project and then I
will have them fill out the same survey at the end of the project. This survey will allow
me to see change in the teachers comfort level with technology, how they approach
technology use, and their overall feelings on the effectiveness of technology in the
classroom. I will be supporting the teacher throughout the process of implementing the
technology lessons in order to help them see past the typically issues we see with
technology and to the core of the lessons. With these tools of evaluation, I feel as
though I will be able to have unbiased data to report in my final capstone.

b. Timeline: see timeline above.

c. Samples:
Survey Sample Questions for Staff:

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1) How often do you use interactive technology in your classroom?

a)
b)
c)
d)

3 5 days a week.
1 2 days a week.
Monthly
Other _____________________________

2) How would you rate your knowledge of technology?

a)
b)
c)
d)

I am a self-proclaimed techy.
I can navigate the technology I use everyday well.
I do alright, but need assistance at times.
Email, whats that?

3) Have you ever heard of QR codes? If yes, explain briefly what they are or how
you use them.
a) Yes
b) No
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Survey Sample Questions for Students:

1) How often do you use interactive technology in your classroom?
a)
b)
c)
d)

3 5 days a week.
1 2 days a week.
Monthly
Other _____________________________

2) How do you use technology at school, in your classroom?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3) How do you use technology at home?

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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

References

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Anderson, S. (2010). QR Codes in Education. Live Binders.com. Accessed on December 10,

2013.
Byrne, R. (2012). QR Codes Explained and Ideas for Classroom Use.
Free Tech for Teachers.com, Accessed on December 10, 2013.
Crawford, C. (2012). Ways to Use QR Codes for Education. Scholastic.com, Accessed on
December 10, 2013.
Dale, J. (2013). Exploring the Educational Potential of QR Codes. Connect Learning Today.com,
Accessed on December 10, 2013.
Douglas, S. (2012). Using QR Codes in Education. Wiki Spaces, Education QR Codes, Accessed
on December 10, 2013.
Jones, B. (2011). 40 Interesting Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom. Slideshare.net,
Accessed on December 10, 2013.
Osborne, C. (2012). 50 QR Code Resources for the Classroom. ZDnet.com, Accessed on
December 10, 2013.