Boosting E-Learning with QR Codes in Moodle LMS

QR Codes can be a valuable tool in e-learning and they are easy to create almost anywhere in Moodle LMS if you have the FilterCodes plugin installed and activated on your Moodle site. Just add them to an HTML/Text block, Page or Label/Text and Media or anywhere that Moodle filters are supported.

Here is the basic syntax for the {qrcode} tag:

{qrcode}Any text or URL that you would like to encode in a QR code{/qrcode}

When you view the page, this tag will be produce the following QR code:

QR codes in Moodle LMS could also contain a link to:

• Engaging content
• Quizzes
• Interactive simulations
• Augmented reality (AR) experiences
• Gamified learning activities
• Supplementary reference material such as articles, case studies and research papers
• Discussion forums
• Almost any other page on your Moodle site
• Practical and real-world examples to link with theoretical knowledge
• Link to the teacher’s profile or contact information
• Link to a telephone number

Here are a few examples of QR codes which you may find useful which incorporate other plain-text tags included with FilterCodes.

Link to the site home page:

{qrcode}{wwwroot}{/qrcode}

Link to the login page:

{qrcode}{wwwroot}/login/{/qrcode}

Link to the dashboard:

{qrcode}{wwwroot}/my/{/qrcode}

Link to a section in a course page (this example links to the second section):

{qrcode}{wwwroot}/course/view.php?id={courseid}#section-2{/qrcode}

Link to a course activity – Replace “URL-of-the-activity” with the actual URL of the course activity or resource:

{qrcode}URL-of-the-activity{/qrcode}

Link to the current page – Instantly get everyone to where you want them to be:

{qrcode}{thisurl}{/qrcode}

Link to supplementary resources like Google.

{qrcode}https://google.com/{/qrcode}

Link to support page as set on Site Administration > Server > Support Contact

{qrcode}{supportpage}{/qrcode}

Link to support email address as set on Site Administration > Server > Support Contact

{qrcode}{supportemail}{/qrcode}

Link to a phone number:

{qrcode}999-555-1212{/qrcode}

vCard with someone’s contact information:

{qrcode}
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:4.0
FN:Santa Claus
N:Claus;Santa;;Dr.;PhD
URL:https://santatracker.google.com/
EMAIL;TYPE=work:santa@officialsantaemail.com
TEL;TYPE=work:605-313-4000
ORG:Santa’s Workshop
ADR;TYPE=work:;;;North Pole;;H0H 0H0;Canada
END:VCARD
{/qrcode}

vCard with the authenticated user’s own contact information:

{qrcode}
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:4.0
FN:{firstname} {lastname}
N:{lastname},{firstname};;;
URL:{webpage}
EMAIL;TYPE=work:{email}
ORG:{institute} - {department}
ADR;TYPE=work:;;;{city};;{country}
END:VCARD
{/qrcode}

For more information on available vCard fields and their format, see the vCard Format Specification.

Pro Tip: Make your QR Code linkable for those on a computer or without a smartphone by enclosing the {qrcode}…{/qrcode} tag in a link. In HTML, it would look something like this:

<a href="https://google.com">{qrcode}https://google.com/{/qrcode}</a>

As you can see, QR codes can bring a fun new level of interactivity and convenience to the Moodle LMS platform, enriching the e-learning experience for both teachers and students. With the ability to seamlessly share resources, create engaging activities, connect to the real world, assess progress, and personalize learning, QR codes empower teachers to deliver dynamic and effective online instruction. Embrace the power of QR codes in Moodle LMS and unlock a world of possibilities that enhance engagement, foster deeper understanding, and cultivate a vibrant and interactive virtual or in-person learning environment.

Hope you found this information useful.

See you next month!

Michael Milette

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Michael Milette

Consultant at TNG Consulting

Michael Milette is the owner and an independent consultant with TNG Consulting Inc. in Canada. He works with government, non-profit organizations, businesses and educational institutions on Moodle-related projects. Michael writes about implementing Moodle LMS, developing in Moodle, Moodle administration, using the FilterCodes plugin (his own project), creating multi-language Moodle implementations and courses, and WCAG 2.1 accessibility.

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