Using QR- Codes to make a Scavenger Hunt

Class or Subject Area: Foreign LanguageSpecific Learning Objectives:
The following activity consists in one of many ways to assess the progress of your students. It can be used in any class and for any subject. The following example examines a way to assess one’s listening skills in a Foreign Language class. Students listen for a variety of purposes including to gather information and to follow directions.Grade Level(s): 6-12
Activity Summary:A QRC-based Scavenger Hunt is a good example of a genuine task-based activity. Students have to react to oral prompts in order to accomplish actions. The success in the accomplishment of their task allows them to progress from stage to stage.What is a QR-Code: You can test this one by scanning the code with your Smart Phone (if equipped with QRC reader). No printing required, you can scan your screen.
What you need:
A series of quiz-type problems (for a 50-minute class session, I recommend 8 problems maximum).
A place on the internet where you can store files (such as Google Docs).
Sheets of paper (one sheet per problem).
Optional: a prize for the winning team
Students need at least one smart phone per team. It takes 5 seconds to download a QRC reader app.

How it works:

Divide the class in groups.

Each group needs to go from “station” to “station” to solve problems. Solving a problem in “station 1” gives access to “station 2” and so forth.

Students are instructed on the details of their mission by using their smart phone to scan QR-Codes.

Preparation:

Create a series of questions related to the topics you currently study in class - any type of question will do: listening, reading, writing… We call those questions “problems”.

Make those problems available on line, so that each one of them has its own URL.

Go to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ and convert your URLs into QR-Codes.

Insert those codes into Word documents and print those.

Hide the printed codes anywhere on campus (if you have 8 problems, you need 8 spots on campus).

Ask colleagues if they can man the stations to make sure that the students answer the question correctly. If needed, you can devise with your colleagues a penalty system based on number of attempts to solve a given problem.

Directions for the students:

“You will be dismissed in a few minutes to go for a Scavenger Hunt here on campus. To proceed from station to station, you need to use your smart phone to decode the questions. In each station, a teacher will make sure that you solve the problem. The teacher will use a penalty system if you need several attemps to solve the question. The first team to come back here with all problems solved gets a prize.

To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with question 1 (you give each group its first question: a QRC that you have printed - or left on your computer screen - for the students to scan; it is advised that you have several series of questions – as many as you have teams – each sorted in a different way, so that all your students are scattered on campus ). From now on, you are on your own. Good luck!”

Sample:

Here is a sample page of problems I have used for students who are beginners in French (less than one semester of French at the time of the activity).

Here are the oral prompts- accessed through QRCs - for each problem.

Technology needs and/or resources:

· Smart phones

· QR Reader app to be downloaded on smart phones

· http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ (or similar) to convert URLs into QR-Codes.