Code scanning comes to the classroom in Xi'an

At a time when people's daily lives increasingly include scanning printed codes with their smartphones to shop, collect information or find entertainment online, a schoolteacher in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, is encouraging his students to use the technology to submit their homework.

Jia Haibin, who has been teaching information technology courses for more than 15 years at the primary school affiliated with Xi'an Jiaotong University, asked his students to hand in their homework using the little square symbols - known as QR codes - in a practical course this semester.

Students complete their homework and store it on WeChat. Then, they create their own QR code that points to the work, and give the code to the teacher.