The surprising truth behind the barcode

Modern exam papers are in reality, a physical format representing an entirely digital process, designed so that our eyes look past the secret codes they now contain. Over recent years SCD has been transforming exams from mere sheets of paper to sophisticated tools that harness the power of technology. Though they may still look like traditional papers, they are now infused with computer-generated data, making each exam paper a unique, trackable, and auditable entity.

This article will explore the truth behind the lines and the dots we don’t notice, discuss which is best, and learn some surprising secrets behind the code.

The barcode was invented in 1948 by Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver while working at the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia. Initially, the barcode was meant to be used for tracking products for the retail industry. After a slow start, it was in the 1960s and early 1970s that the technology became widespread when the first barcode scanner was introduced by a company called George J. Laurer. The first barcode was scanned on a pack of Wrigley's gum at a grocery store in Ohio in 1974. Since then, barcodes have become ubiquitous in various industries, such as retail and shipping, for tracking and managing products and packages.

A barcode is like a secret code made of lines and spaces that can be read by a particular device called a barcode reader. The code tells the reader important information about a product, like what it is and who made it.

Until recently, reading and understanding barcodes at speed was the preserve of industrial devices. Nowadays, most of us have a barcode reader in our pockets in the form of our mobile phones; therefore, the secrets behind the barcode have been revealed. As none of us scans the barcodes on our shopping for fun, the data they hold is still a bit of a mystery, but you will undoubtedly have scanned its younger partner, the QR code.

A QR code (Quick Response code) is a two-dimensional barcode designed to be scanned by a smartphone camera. Unlike traditional barcodes consisting of lines of different thicknesses, QR codes are black and white squares arranged in a specific pattern. When scanned, a QR code can contain various information, such as a simple or complex website URL, contact information, or a message. Scanning a QR code lets you capture the data it was programmed to contain digitally. This makes the process more accurate, less time-consuming and, as every QR code can be different, more personal. ?Point your smartphone camera at the code; the information will be translated and presented digitally.

The masses began using QR codes in the pandemic in 2020 when they became a handy way of providing contactless access to information or directing people to a complex URL. This technology certainly provided an invaluable way for us to enjoy some normality and yet help the health authorities to track and slow the progress of the dreadful disease.

The educational print industry uses QR codes and barcodes, but why and when depends on the information you need to carry and who will read it.

Barcodes for logistics

The most common use for barcodes in the assessment industry is for logistics. Barcodes are typically used to carry strings of alphanumerical data, which is used to access further information from a database held by a supplier in the chain. In its pure form, it’s rarely of use to the reader. Still, when matched to a record on a database, its location and status can be quickly updated, and stakeholders are notified thanks to modern automation.

At SCD, when an awarding organisation requests the same-day processing and printing of a batch of personalised exam papers, SCD will print the courier label before the exam paper. This is possible because the workflow and preparation made by SCD mean that they know the exact weight and size of a batch of exam papers before they have even been printed.

In the past, weighing and booking a courier only after the papers had been printed would have delayed the process; now, with all the correct data and automation, a faster turnaround is possible.

Barcodes for Candidate Response Scanning

Barcodes are often used to help suppliers identify the exam paper, centre, candidate and potentially even the page during the scanning process. This doesn’t always need to involve integration between suppliers. As anyone working with technology knows, the simpler the solution, the more resilient it is. So often, a barcode or QR code will be used to provide a scanning partner with the information they need to continue the task to the same quality standard without additional integration between one or more systems.

Barcodes for Integrity and Quality.

Nobody wants the wrong exam to go to the wrong location or even vital or sensitive materials to go walkabouts on the journey. Therefore, barcodes and QR codes are often used to inform the packing operator what they should be expecting as part of the exam pack so that the materials can be checked and verified before moving to the next stage in their journey. This type of quality checking is essential for an awarding organisation or supplier when handling sensitive exam materials. Using barcodes improves the integrity of the exam and makes the process more robust.

QR Codes for Validation.

The introduction of apps that allow a phone to read a barcode or QR code via the camera has been a game-changer. A classic example is how we validate essential documents such as certificates.

Most modern certificates come with a QR code that is scannable by any smartphone. This QR code usually contains a complex URL that directs the user to a site where they can validate the details presented on the certificate. This simple yet effective authentication method has made checking details such as expiry date and qualification data easier, ensuring that the person presenting the certificate has the appropriate qualifications.

In the past, forgery of a simple certificate posed a significant risk to organisations and individuals relying on the certificate's validity. Introducing the QR code has added an additional layer of security without increasing costs.

QR Code or Barcode, which is better?

Which one you use will depend on several factors. The logistics industry has used barcodes and barcode readers for many years. Therefore due to the cost of replacing readers around the world, it’s likely that barcodes will remain for some time. They come in different sizes and shapes, and each industry has developed its own standard. The old saying, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, is valid for the simple barcode. They do precisely what is expected of them, and they do it well.

On the other hand, QR codes are more of a modern take and provide a different function. Typically, a QR code on an exam paper will contain the same human-readable information, such as the exam paper name and information about the candidate. It’s machine readable to a higher level of accuracy than printed text, and its size and shape often mean that it’s a good alternative for barcodes when placed in the middle of the page.

One advantage of a barcode is that if the bars for the lower or upper half of the image along the horizontal axis are obscured, the data is still readable. QR codes require all blocks to be visible to the scanner, which means they are not suitable for placement towards the edge of a page.

What happens when you read the code upside down?

You’d think that the result would perhaps be backward or scrambled, but due to the start and end markers and the size and shape of the corner blocks in a QR code, the reader will always know how to interpret the data.

This is a prime example of how barcodes and QR codes are much more resilient than relying on a machine reading text (Optical Character Recognition).

Which is more resilient when placed in the hands of a bored student?

Print quality and the material a barcode and QR code is printed on can impact the readability of a code. We’ve all been at a supermarket self-scan or the boarding gate when we’ve struggled to get something to scan. In the exam situation, students can often get scribble happy and start trying to play dot to dot.

Surprisingly, student scribbles don’t always impact the readability of a barcode, even a QR code. With barcodes, as mentioned before, so long as a reader can get a clear run of all the bars on the same plain, then the code will read. With QR codes, so long as the contrast between the image remains, then it can be read accurately.

Barcodes and QR Codes at SCD

Now that you’ve heard about the history and different benefits, here are some examples of applications at SCD.

Logistics:

• We use audit trails to track printed documents throughout the exam cycle.
• Barcodes are scanned at different stages of printing and fulfilment to provide feedback to our management systems and inform customers of the production status.
• We use barcodes to pack the correct printed items and quantities for each centre.
• The identical barcodes are used for audit purposes while processing or scanning exam papers and attendance registers.
• Barcodes are used on courier and Royal Mail labels for tracking parcels and providing real-time updates on their current status in the logistics system.

Mailing Integrity:

• When mailing multi-page documents, each page is barcoded to ensure the correct number of pages is in the envelope and no pages are mixed. This is especially important for letter packs with different sheets.

Exam operations:

• QR codes are used on certificates and exam papers to contain learner and centre details and paper and cohort references.
• QR codes can be used to point to an authentication webpage that verifies the authenticity and accuracy of the information.
• QR codes are used on invigilator instruction documents to direct to a webpage with additional information or instruction videos, which can be updated easily.