Idea for taking attendance

Education
#1

What do we need for attendance to be completed electronically?

I have a thought, probably not feasible but nevertheless a thought about how we can take attendance easily for classes. Bear with me as I unscramble my thoughts.

Registration: Currently members and non-members alike go to calendar, register for a class and receive an email.
Suggest non-members get assigned a random 4 digit class code (see below).

Attendance - Teacher role: Teacher arrives at class and sets up class tablet (this is loose term, could be a pi with rfid ability). They badge in and system recognises their class by the time and who the user is. Tablet is now aware that teacher is present and is then ready to receive students.

Attendance - Student role: students arrive, tablet offers two choices. Member/Non member. Member option allows them to badge in and done. Non members get prompted for the 4 digit class code assigned through initial email, and done.

Added thought, maybe one more option for add-ons, folks who just turn up.

This process would ensure that attendance is taken properly by all folks involved in the class. Hardest part would be software as always, but we have many bright minds at DMS

K that’s my thought for the day. I know it’s kinda out there but it is really possible. We have the technology…

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#2

I do miss your thoughts.

Anytime I have an opportunity to badge in, it’s a good thing. Removing a step where another human has to verify the list (I think) gives one less chance for error.

I’m glad you recognized the bit about walk ins/standbys though. Perhaps there’s even a way to badge into a class onsite and ask for the slot if one is open? Time stamp allows for order of acceptance?

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#3

That kind of a system would be awesome.

But, I’m not sure we actually have the technology. We have the hardware, that is the cheap and easy part. The program is the missing step. How to we make it intuitive to use, easy to manage, and cheap? It becomes one of those pick 2 but not all 3 problems.

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#4

Not random. Sequential. Random adds no value and introduces the possibility of conflicts. The conflicts can be eliminated by tracking assigned numbers. But, if the numbers are tracked they may as well be sequential.

Characters not digits. That distinguishes member (long number) from non-member (short character). I suspect characters are easier to remember.

Three characters. That gives 17576 combinations. (Reduced if distinct characters are used. Further reduced if actual words are eliminated.)

Distinct characters. (N but not M; Q but not O; B but not D; when printed some fonts do not distinguish characters very well.)

#5

How much of burden is dealing with attendance? A minute? 30 minutes?

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#6

Remembering to take attendance and submitting through the system is the main burden. Not the time invested to do so. Then how accurate is the attendance is another burden we haven’t tackled fully, as no one really audits the system. All we check is if you submitted an attendance of more than 3 in the case of an honorarium class.

To me taking away the ability to forget to take attendance and submit attendance would be a nice step. This can be some what lessened with a email reminder, but it has to be submitted in a timely manner to the class actually happening currently. If you miss that time frame you have to beg someone to accept your attendance records in order to be paid.

Not a great setup, but is what we have.

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#7

This is really thinking outside the box and may not be practical at all.

Can RFID tags be put in the system that just register a name and email associated with a waiver. They could be used for signing in. These things are dirt cheap.

What I’m thinking is: when they come for a class and sign up they could be given a an RFID Badge - say in another color/style if available. This would let them badge in for classes, verify they have a waiver signed, and might encourage them to join to get the much sought and cravenly desired BLUE Badge of membership.

It would really be more of a recruitment tool but it would serve as a waiver verification.

May be too much hassle, but if they attend more classes they are likely to join.

It wouldn’t open doors, but the different color would make it apparent that if someone showed up knocking at door, holding up badge, it would be clear they aren’t a member and that “I don’t know why it isn’t working.” does fly.

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#8

And it might help with issues like my class where I took attendee during
the class and somehow it didnt register

#9

The guest RFID units are blocks of 2x4 and painted hazard yellow/green/orange. They are sitting in the lobby and could be assigned as needed. It would mean guests are obvious and the RFID tag uncool to take home. They could also be 4" semi hollow squares that are 3D printed maybe. A bit lighter and still awkward to take home. Think of bathroom keys at gas stations or hall passes in high school.

Having a visual reference that someone is a guest is beneficial if they are lost or to have conversations about touring the space and answering any questions.

The cosplay event makes this an interesting exercise though. We would need 100 to 200 guest RFID tags to cover all guests? That is a huge pile sitting someplace. They could be stored in milk crates and brought out for high demand moment. Perhaps sitting above the lockers by the lobby.

I like the idea that they only work in the front area, that does not cover Jewelry or Fired Arts or Vector or Science. Maybe, the RFID tags would work on the center doors for those classes only?

#10

Is there a way to query the waiver database? By email address? Something else?

What company handles the waivers?

#11

No idea. I would assume there would be since when someone signs up and wants to activate a badge it looks for a signed waiver and matches on email field. That much I do know.

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#12

This might provide some insight.
Not completely clear on what you’re asking, though…

The waivers are served up by SmartWaiver (software, I think, as opposed to “in their cloud service”), and populates a database which is queryable by Maker Manger, I believe…

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#14

That’s how I do my classes also, but there are other teachers that don’t use this method. I just figured having a tablet in each classroom might be an easy way for teachers and students to sign in for the class

#15

While I agree with you , Zach, what about folks are NOT using a computer in their class? e.g. Blacksmithing, anything jewelry, fired arts, etc. where no slide-deck happens, and no computer is a part of the process; instructors, likely, don’t even bring a laptop, and maybe not even a smart phone is on their person. What can we do to make attendance taking a part of their process? I like the idea of a terminal in the classroom for such things, but that still doesn’t really solve the cases I’ve pointed out as exceptions to the “technology integrated” process…

#16

Signing a waiver is required. Someone has to (should) ensure a waiver is signed. Currently the only entity at DMS who could guarantee a waiver has been signed for non-members is a teacher. I suspect no teacher has ever performed that check. (How could they?)

@Photomancer suggested issuing non-member RFID tags and the process for issuing such tags include a waiver check. I like that idea. However, it does not eliminate the possibility of a non-member knocking on the door, a random member letting them in, then that random member directing the non-member to class with no waiver signed. Checking waivers with an automatic attendance would eliminate that possibility.

Make sense?

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#17

Talked with Stan and some others - not practical to implement. An alternative was offered as a possiblity: when they register and a confirmation is sent, if non-member they would get a code to type in.

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#18

Is not possible to reject the ability to register until they have a waiver

#19

Waivers must be done here on site. We have them on camera so even if they sign using bogus info and then claim they “I never signed a waiver” we can show they did sign one - the fact they used bogus info just means they lied, destroys credibility really fast.

#20

OK…still blue skying here…what about they sign a waiver, which generates an email (and/or printable whatever) that includes a bar-code/QR code for an ID number that can be scanned by a scanner or typed in somewhere by a teacher. Student then needs to present piece or paper or show whatever on their phone to teacher or a scanner (darkly).

#21

So then instead of confirmed can it say pending as an alert to the teacher that they didn’t have one? So they can be sent to the pads to do it