6th form attendance

[winng]

Hi

 

We are having difficulty in ensuring accurate 6th form attendance because they attend lessons not timetabled, etc. (don't even get me started.....).

 

A teacher has suggested the following:

 

With the sixth form - is there a way of students logging themselves onto

a computer to register? For example a computer or file somewhere takes

note of a student logging themselves onto the system to show they are there?

 

For example:

 

Danielle logs onto A1 computer number 3 and an entry is created in a log

in faculties that notes that time of log on e.g.

 

Gippsdi - A1C3 - 14./04/12 02:28

 

This generated report could then be checked by the tutors when doing

attendance and coded accordingly?

 

I'm pretty sure a code can be written for that

 

Anybody have any suggestions (polite ones please...)

 

Thanks

 

Graeme

[theriver]

Hello

 

I am also sure that you could write a code for that - e.g. a script in the user's startup that writes to somewhere. Depending on your requirements and how complicated you want it you could write an entry to a database, or even simply write a batch file that writes a file to a share with the username and computername in the filename.

 

This does seem like a flawed solution to me though, because you'd be relying on every student to log into a computer for every lesson - do all of your teaching rooms have computers? If you've got a room with 2 PCs and 30 kids in it, how useful is this solution going to be?

 

And what do you do if there's a fire? How do you know who is in?

 

This seems to me to be trying to find an unnecessary complicated solution to a simple problem. Isn't it easier for the tutor to just take a register?

[pete]

I would be uncomfortable writing code that might result in someone re-entering (or be unknowingly trapped inside) a burning building.

[theriver]

Sorry, I should expand on that - if this is an addition to your existing register system for the other years, you've got to ensure the procedures around it are 'fireproof'.

[X-13]

Do they have ID badges?

 

If they do, and you have electronic locks which are unlocked by ID cards [like we do here], why not link the usage database to a register [May or may not be hard.]

 

Swipe in to the building = added to the register as in.

 

Swipe out = Flagged as off-site.

[matt40k]

Simple answer, use what you've got and get the lesson timetabled so you can record attendance.

[vikpaw]

There's nothing wrong with paper registers! It's the easiest way to solve your problem. Or do something equivalent and get the teacher to put it in Excel, so it's easier to get stats out.

[matt40k]

There's nothing wrong with paper registers! It's the easiest way to solve your problem. Or do something equivalent and get the teacher to put it in Excel, so it's easier to get stats out.

 

Not a fan of paper and random excel spreadsheets. Makes data protection a nightmare. Ok, you should be ok.. it's just when staff start adding columns

 

Also it'll want to be entered into the schools MIS at some point, so it makes to enter it direct in from the off.

[vikpaw]

@matt40k I agree on all counts, just working within the bounds set out in OP, and it isn't timetabled.

If it was SIMS, i'd say make a marksheet, with fixed columns, and get the teacher to fill it in.