Learning & Leading Through Technology

Teach Environmental Science with iPads, QR Codes, and StoryKit

Looking for a way to get students excited about environmental issues while encouraging them to make meaningful connections? We did this at a summer environmental science course at Clemson University by using iPads and two iPad apps to help students research science content and record information.

We knew that our students would be excited about the opportunity to use iPads, which would increase their participation in class. But we wondered if that would be enough to encourage them to learn about environmental issues and sustain their interest.

We came up with the idea to send our students on an environmental scavenger hunt on Clemson’s campus. Similar to the Amazing Race reality TV series, students would go off to different locations, engage in challenges related to environmental science, and then share what they encountered on their travels and discuss how these issues affect the environment. Along with the iPads, students used the Scan-QR app to find out about their challenges and the StoryKit app to record their findings.

Mapping It Out

The first thing we did was scope out
places on campus for students to inves-
tigate different types of environmental
issues, such as land, water, and noise
pollution. Once we established these
locations, we created our map using
an existing digital map of our area. If
you don’t have a map, you can create
one using Google Earth. In Word, we
selected the Landscape view, pasted
our map into the document, and chose
pictures from clip art to use as markers
for the scavenger hunt stations.

We planned to have each group visit three of the six stations corresponding to the types of pollution we were studying and then come back together to present their findings to the class. We did this to manage our limited class time and allow groups to collaborate and communicate with each other to learn about six types of pollution. Because we had groups visiting only three of the six stations, we created six different maps, one for each group (see Troubleshooting Tip #1).

Scanning It Out

We used QR codes in our scavenger hunt as a way of presenting both the task and supplemental science content.

We posted signs at each location asking students to complete a task. For example, the first QR code for Station 1 asked students to photograph an example of water pollution and explain how the pollution might affect the surrounding environment. The second QR code linked to a website that explained the specific environmental issue they were searching for and outlined how the pollution might affect the environment.

Creating QR codes was by far
the easiest part of this activity. We
selected the QR Code Generator
( the-qrcode-generator.com), one of
the many free tools available on the
web. The QR code could link to con-
tent in the form of text, a website, or
contact info. Because we wanted the
QR code posted at each station to
describe a task, we chose free text and
typed in the challenge that we wanted
the students to complete.
Once the code was generated, we
clicked Save, named the file, selected the
.PNG file type, and clicked Save again.
Next, we created a URL QR code
to link to supplemental science con-
tent that would support students in
completing the task. We continued
this process until we had all 12 QR
codes (two per station) opened on
our screen (see Troubleshooting Tip
#2). We pasted them into Word docu-
ments and labeled them with
station numbers.