Week Nine - Play Activity

QR Codes

I chose to carry out the the basic play activity for week nine. There were two parts to undertake. Part A required students to use a free QR code generator to create a business card for the "About Me" page on their blog. Below are images showcasing the QR code generator I used and the where I embedded the code on my blog (click on images to enlarge).









The second part of the basic task required students to download a QR scanner app to their smart phone to scan a QR code with a secret message supplied by the lecturer. The app downloaded is called "Scan" and is extremely simple to use. The code was deciphered using the app and the "hidden" message passed on the lecturer via twitter. As this week's task was completed late in the evening I've decided to add a print screen of the deciphered code below:

I also used the scanner app on my phone to verify whether my QR code business card was successful and I'm pleased to say it was. To view the QR code head to the "About Me" page.

I enjoyed the activity and was excited to download and try a new app. However, I realised following the activity, that if one did not own a smart phone or device, how would the activity be carried out? As I'm fairly new to owning a smart phone, this point stood out to me and while smart device use is prevalent, considerations have to be made for those who don't have access to these technologies. It's for this reason that I believe while QR codes are a unique and convenient way to make information available to people, it shouldn't be a technology relied on by organisations based on exclusivity.