QR Codes, Virtual Field Trips, and Layered Reality
QR Codes
This week, I spent some time exploring different ways to create a QR code. When I say “some time”, I mean approximately two (2) minutes. It was shockingly easy to create one. The hardest part was trying to find something to link to! I decided to create a code that would link to an infographic I created about online safety for elementary students. I chose to use QRCode Monkey and picked the simple black and white design, although there were plenty of options to choose from. You can adjust the color scheme, use a premade QR design, and even add a custom logo or company name. Sometimes simple is best. Here is mine:
The whole idea behind QR codes is to make things simpler. In the school environment, this would be especially useful to share with students. According to Dr. Med Kharbach (2020), QR codes can be a great tool for sharing information with a long URL. With a generated code, you can share that URL without running the risk of it being a broken URL. It’s really just one more way to pass information more quickly, easily, and effectively. And the codes are so simple to create, there really is no big drawback to using this technology tool.
Virtual Field Trip
During the closure of our elementary school in 2020, I found myself scouring the web for places to “go” with my own virtual learners, my 6- and 8-year-old daughters. I was fascinated by the multitude of webcams available around the world that could transport us virtually to another place. I was so taken by the idea that I soon found myself alone, watching polar bears dancing, bald eagles nesting, elephants grazing in Africa. The girls had long since gone outside to play, but I was mesmerized and couldn’t get enough. The thought that I could visit another place in the world “LIVE” blew my mind. As I jumped into this assignment, I suddenly remembered what I had been missing since I stopped virtually traveling the world.
This time, I decided to use Google Arts and Culture to visit the Seven Wonders of the World. I saw moveable, birds-eye views of the Taj Mahal (no long lines!), aerial photos of the Great Wall of China (no steps!), and the archaeological site at Petra in Jordan (no pesky camels!). While nothing will likely ever be comparable to a trip in-person, the beautiful photography and high quality of production used could really spark an interest in learning more about these wonderful and historic places. I love the idea of using these virtual field trips as a cost-effective way to transport students wherever they may want to roam, even when it’s not part of the curriculum.
Layered reality
The development of these technology layers such as virtual and augmented reality, simulation, telepresence, and more have opened a whole world to students that may only have been available before in two-dimensional forms. Documentaries can now spring to life as virtual reality field trips, simple maps can unfold into 3-D walking tours, and global health issues and international crises can be felt more deeply than ever by immersing students into a world outside their own. (Bergdoll, 2021). Other technology, like telepresence robots, are helping students who are homebound or otherwise unable to attend school learn virtually alongside their fellow classmates. The robot is controlled by the student remotely via a computer, and will go wherever the student wants it to go, pausing as needed, to look around and take in its surroundings, all with the touch of a button. In cases like this, the return on investment might just prove to be invaluable to the homebound student and to their classmates (Double Robotics, 2015).
With so many options available to enhance teaching from the classroom (and beyond!), the possibilities truly are becoming endless.
References
Bergdoll, F. [Learning and technology with Frank]. (2021, December 14). Metaverse for education: 5 ways to use virtual reality in school. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WogQ0X4ITHM
Double Robotics. (2015, June 17). Case study: Sebasticook Valley Middle School + Double Robotics. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aln1V0rtCkE
Google. (n.d.). 7 new wonders of the world . Google. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://artsandculture.google.com/story/WwURFnRfOCnVEQ
Kharbach, M. (2020, June 12). 10 ways to use QR codes in online education. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2020/06/10-ways-to-use-qr-codes-in-online.html
Pexels. (2016, November 21). Woman, virtual reality, game, clouds, ar. [Image]. Retrieved 2022, July 13 from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-virtual-reality-game-clouds-1845517/ CCZero
Stephanie. You inspired me to go back and look at the 7 wonders virtual field trip. It was very cool!
I chuckled when I read that your hardest part of the QR code part was finding something to link to. That was also the part that took me the longest to figure out.
I like that you used a photo. I wanted to add color or something interesting to look at to my post too. I wound up playing with the color features on the QR code generator… mostly because like you I finished in a couple of minutes. I felt like I needed to explore at least a little bit more!
Though I wouldn’t miss the long lines, I want the experience of the steps and the camels too. Alas, virtual trips will have to suffice for the time being. The 7 Wonders of the Modern World was a good one.
I love webcams as well! During the school year, I often have an eagle’s next projected on my smartboard. Since it is on for long periods of time, the kids stop being distracted by it, but when something cool happens, we are there to see it. I like to watch webcams from places I have been to visit as well. It reminds me that wonderful places are there, even after I leave.
It’s nice to hear from a parent how virtual learning is a useful tool. I once worked at a summer camp where we spent a whole day glued to a tv watching a giraffe be born at the New York Zoo. Super cool!