Attendance Technology Overview

CourseKey leverages students’ existing smartphones, tablets, and laptops to automate the attendance collection process. We offer four technology options for attendance: Sound, GPS, QR Code, and Face/Print Scan. In this article, we will highlight the pros and cons of each technology. 

Sound Attendance

Sound attendance uses ultra-high frequency tones to check students in for class. The sound is undetectable to the human ear. The instructor emits the tone from the classroom computer or the web portal on a phone, and the tone is then picked up by students’ devices.

Pros:

• Sound cannot pass through doors or walls, meaning students who check in for the class are guaranteed to be inside the classroom.
• Most secure attendance solution on the planet.

Cons:

• Students must check-in from the CourseKey app on their smartphone or iPad, rather than the web browser. (Alternative check-in methods available if needed).

 

GPS Attendance

A geofence is drawn around a classroom or externship site. Students check-in via GPS location once they’re inside the geofence through any device that can access the Internet.

Pros: 

• Can be used through any device, whether accessing CourseKey through the app or web.
• Preferred option for accurate attendance at externship sites.

Cons:

• Accuracy varies depending on the student device, with newer devices providing better accuracy.

See our note on GPS, Google Maps and CourseKey location technologies for more detail.

 

QR Code Attendance

A unique QR code is generated for every class session and can be displayed in class digitally or by printing it out ahead of time. Once the QR code is displayed, students can scan in for attendance via the cameras on their smartphones or tablets.

Pros: 

• The option to print makes this the easiest solution for classes not fully ready to leap from paper to digital.

Cons:

• Requires students to use CourseKey through a device with camera functionality. (Alternative check-in methods available if needed).

 

Face/Print Scan Attendance

CourseKey's Face/Print Scan for attendance provides an easy and secure method for students to check-in and out of class. CourseKey clients leverage the same stored biometric security data on the student's device used by world-class banks and password management systems.

Pros: 

• Highest security for live online. Securely verifies the correct student is checking in.
• Does not require extra steps from the instructor.

Cons:

• Requires students to use CourseKey through a device with fingerprint scan or face recognition. (Alternative check-in methods available if needed).

 

QR Code + GPS Attendance

CourseKey's dual authentication process can provide an added layer of security to the QR Code attendance technology. In addition to scanning a QR Code provided by an instructor or staff member, the system will verify that the student is within the geofence that has been set for the school, classroom, or offsite location.

Pros: 

• Provides increased security to ensure students are checking in from the required location.

Cons:

• Requires instructor or staff to display the code in real-time or print the code in advance.