QR codes on worksheets for stuck students
Students scan the task they are stuck on and watch a short explainer, while you help the next hand that goes up.
QR codes on worksheets link each task to help students can open on their own: a two-minute explainer video, a worked model answer or the answer key for checking. Record or pick the video, set it to unlisted, paste the link above and print a 2 cm code beside the task. Test one photocopy before printing the class set.
Unstuck in ninety seconds
A student scans the code beside task 4 and watches the teacher add a half and a third with paper strips.
How to add help codes to a worksheet
Pick the hard tasks
Add codes to the two or three tasks where most hands go up, not to every question. Too many codes turn the sheet into a phone exercise.
Make short help
Record a two-minute video that solves a similar task, upload it as unlisted, or link the exact minute of a longer one with ?t= and the seconds.
Make the codes
Paste each link above. A frame line such as "Stuck? Scan for help" tells students this is a hint, not the answer.
Test on a school device
Scan from a classroom tablet on the school network. Some schools filter video sites on student devices.
Worked example: a fractions sheet for ten-year-olds
- The hint codes
- Tasks 4 and 7 each carry a 2 cm code to a 90-second video in which the teacher adds a half and a third with paper strips.
- The answer key
- A third code sits at the bottom of the back page under "Check your answers when you have finished", linked to a one-page PDF.
- The lesson
- Half the class works through on their own; the teacher spends the time with six students who need it, instead of repeating the same hint.
Fixed or editable for worksheet codes?
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Fixed QR code (static)
A fixed code holds the video link itself. It is free, and right for a worksheet you print once and reuse with the same video.
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Editable QR code (dynamic)
An editable code lets you swap in a better video next year without reprinting the sheet, and shows how many students scanned each task. From $9 a month after the 14-day trial.
Codes that survive the photocopier
2 cm on A4
A code of 2 cm reads well on an A4 or Letter page. Smaller codes blur after two rounds of copying.
Copy, then test
Photocopiers lighten dark areas and add speckle. Scan a copy, not the original, before you print thirty.
Answers out of sight
Print the answer key code on the back or at the foot of the last page, so students finish first and check second.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
What should a worksheet QR code link to?
A short help video, a worked model answer or the answer key. One clear target per code, so students know what they will get.
Can the code start a video at the right moment?
Yes. Add ?t= and the start in seconds to a YouTube link, such as ?t=95, and the video opens at that point.
Do students need accounts to watch?
Not for unlisted YouTube videos. Check that your school's filters allow them on student devices before the lesson.
How big should the code be on a photocopied sheet?
2 cm or larger. Copies lose contrast, so test a copy rather than the original.
Will the codes still work next school year?
A fixed code works as long as the video stays online. An editable code lets you point the same sheet at a new video when you re-record it.
Can parents use the codes for homework?
Yes. A help code on a homework sheet lets parents watch the method the class learned, so help at home matches the lesson.
Help beside the hardest task
Paste your first help video and print a test copy of the worksheet.