WATCH: MACE success in tracking large-group student attendance with an iPad
12 May 2015
Support Staff in MACE have successfully piloted a new way to monitor student attendance.
The new system uses an iPad and an app which enables you to download student information from Blackboard to create a set of QR codes, one per student. Students then ‘scan-in’ to register their attendance using the QR code on their mobile phone, or on a printed card.
Almost 350 first-year students registered their attendance in this way throughout semester two. A much smaller pilot also took place in semester one.
Mike Smith, the School of MACE’s Academic Project Support Manager, said “Student attendance at lectures is a requirement of the course and the University needs to monitor attendance on a regular basis. Traditional paper-based lists are time-consuming to process and the QR codes speed up the flow of information to create an instant electronic register”.
“Phase two of the pilot showed that even with a large group, a single iPad is enough to cope with students scanning in at peak arrival time, around ten minutes before a lecture starts. Electronic registration is a quick, accurate and more sustainable alternative to paper lists, especially with large groups. The feedback from students was also positive.”
If you would like further details of how to use the QR Code system with your own groups, please contact:
A full report is available with more information.