Traditionally, universities have relied on various methods to track student attendance – from manual roll calls to sign-in sheets – to monitor student engagement and identify at-risk learners. However, with the massification of higher education, these conventional approaches present significant logistical challenges, becoming cumbersome for lecturers. Beyond the practical difficulties, these methods can also feel archaic. Whilst there is a correlation between regular attendance and academic success, the concept of compulsory attendance itself can be a point of contention. For adult university students, mandatory attendance policies can sometimes lead to disengagement as they can be perceived as overly prescriptive and undermining autonomy.
In response to the administrative burden of manual attendance taking, and to leverage technology for efficiency, Dublin City University (DCU) installed the Moodle Attendance plugin. This plugin allows students to self-record their presence in class seamlessly through QR codes displayed in lecture halls or via password entry, even in very large classes. The plugin aims to streamline the attendance process, provide real-time attendance data, and offer students a convenient, self-service option.
The authors sought to evaluate the students’ views regarding the Attendance plugin, and the emerging findings reveal a highly mixed reception. While some students found the self-recording process446 empowering and a motivating factor for consistent class attendance, others perceived it as patronising, undermining their autonomy as university learners. Furthermore, a significant portion of feedback highlighted common workflow issues, including unreliable Wi-Fi connectivity within lecture halls, QR codes not remaining on screen for sufficient duration, and technical difficulties with multi-factor authentication (MFA) required to access Moodle.
This poster will share the emerging findings of this evaluation, offering valuable insights into the complexities of student perceptions regarding digital attendance tracking with Moodle.
Participants will gain: an understanding of the nuanced student experience with self-recorded attendance, an appreciation for the technological and pedagogical challenges inherent in such an approach, and practical considerations for implementation.
This poster matters because: it highlights the critical need to balance administrative efficiency with student autonomy and user-friendly design in educational technology, ensuring that tools intended to support learning do not inadvertently become sources of frustration or disengagement in the modern higher education landscape.Additional author: Seamus Campau, DCU