QR Codes

As promised, an explanation of last Friday's post...

The picture in the post is called a QR code. Essentially it's a 'super barcode', and is used to provide information on... well, whatever you choose. To decode it, you need to have a smartphone (eg iPhone or Android handset) with a barcode scanner installed. Simply read the code with the scanner and the information it contains will appear on your screen, whether it's simple text, a hyperlink, or something else. In the case of last Friday's post, the code contained the following relevant-to-this-site quote:

'Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed' - Robert Gallagher

We are considering using QR codes within our library to provide quick access to different types of information, though this will depend on user feedback. If having read this explanation you have any thoughts to offer, please contact me at D.Renfree@ucb.ac.uk to pass them on.

You can read more about QR codes here.

You can experiment with them by generating your own from this site.

And a couple of further examples to give you an idea of what's possible: scan the code below for access to a free ebook of Dr Montessori's Own Handbook.
Or if you'd like to buy yourself a Kindle for Christmas but can't afford one, you can now download free apps for a range of devices which mean that your PC / smartphone can mimic most of the functions of a Kindle, as well as giving you access to its full range of ebooks. Scan the image below to see what's available:


Technical lessons over for now - normal posts about childcare and education research will resume next week :-)