Augmented reality is a technological tool that projects something on the screen (phone, laptop, etc.) of the world creating a virtual reality for the viewer. I used QR codes to provide students with an augmented reality experience. QR codes are on paper or a computer screen and they scanned by an app on phones that then brings up a website, YouTube video, text, question, or many other things onto the phone screen. The viewer can then view what is necessary for that project or question and move on easily. QR codes make it simple, convenient, and user friendly to access websites or information pertaining to different subjects. All students would need to do is download a free QR code scanner app onto their phones and they can begin from there!
I used qrstuff.com to create my QR codes. I created an interactive worksheet about three cell processes; binary fission, meiosis, and mitosis. The website I used to generate my QR codes was very simple to use and was also free. The students would be given a copy of the worksheet either online or in a physical paper copy. They would go through the series of questions on each worksheet and then once the worksheet was completed, they would be able to scan the QR code to check their answers. Each worksheet also had another QR code that was linked to an lamination or short video showing the process being done in the cells. This helped students to connect written work with a video of what they were learning about. This would be especially helpful to visual learners who learn through observing how a process works.
QR codes and augmented reality connect to component 3C because they both engage students in learning. Technology alone is a simple and typically accessible way to engage students in the class, but QR codes take it to another level. It gives teachers the control to add in videos and scavenger hunts to make class more exciting rather than just writing down answers on a worksheet.
Creating an interactive worksheet was much more simple than I anticipated. I thought it would be hard to create a QR code and be able to embed the codes into a worksheet, but it proved to be the opposite. The QR code generators online are typically free and they are incredibly user friendly. I enjoyed creating these QR codes to go along with the interactive worksheet. It turned what may have been a mundane task of filling out a worksheet into a fun and interactive way to learn the material! Augmented reality relates to the SAMR model in the augmentation portion. It gives students a chance to explore online and with real examples rather than writing words on a worksheet. Augmented reality and QR codes connect to the ISTE standard for students: digital citizen. Students can see how technology can boost what they are learning and solidify things that needed clarification.
https://www.qrstuff.com The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/danielson_rubric_32.pdf