Lesson Plan

• Describe the characteristics, typical uses, advantages and disadvantages of magnetic stripe, chip‑and‑PIN, RFID, OMR, OCR, barcode and QR code readers.
• Compare the security, cost and suitability of each device for different ICT applications.
• Demonstrate how to select an appropriate direct data‑entry device for a given scenario and justify the choice.

• Projector and screen
• PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation
• Sample magnetic stripe card, chip‑and‑PIN card, RFID tag
• Barcode and QR code scanner (or smartphone)
• OMR answer sheets and scanner
• Handout summary table and worksheet

Begin with a quick poll: “How many of you have tapped a card or phone to pay today?” Use the responses to link everyday experiences to the devices they just used. State that by the end of the lesson they will be able to explain how each device works, its pros and cons, and choose the right one for a given task.

1. Do‑now (5'): Students match pictures of devices to their names on a mini‑quiz.
2. Mini‑lecture (15'): Present key characteristics, uses, advantages and disadvantages of the seven devices using slides and real‑world examples.
3. Group activity (20'): Teams receive a scenario (e.g., retail checkout, library book tracking, exam marking) and decide which device is most suitable, filling out a comparison chart.
4. Class debrief (10'): Each group shares its choice; teacher highlights correct reasoning and common misconceptions.
5. Hands‑on demo (15'): Quick demonstration of a magnetic stripe reader and an RFID reader, showing data capture on the screen.
6. Check for understanding (5'): Exit‑ticket – one sentence summarising the biggest advantage of RFID over barcode.

Recap the main differences between the devices, emphasizing security and suitability. Collect the exit‑tickets and remind students that their homework is to complete the worksheet comparing two devices of their choice. Close by highlighting how these technologies underpin modern e‑commerce and inventory systems.