With new Android app, students register attendance during lectures via cellphones on a smartboard, which the professor then verifies
A smartboard screen in each of the classrooms displays the attendance
Gone are the days of saying 'Yes Ma'am/ Sir' to mark your presence in class β at the MIT School of Telecom Management (MITSOT) in Kothrud, students are using a new cellphone app to register attendance. The mobile application records attendance, and also provides students with an analysis of their attendance for each subject. Dr Milind Pande, project director, MIT Pune, Kothrud Campus, said, βAll our classrooms are equipped with smartboards β the new programme runs with the help of this screen and a specially-designed Android system-supported 'Attendance App' on cellphones.β The professor taking a lecture opens the system, after which students present in the room open their app and click on the lecture's slot. Simultaneously, the smartboard screen lists the students, with photographs. Nitin Zadpe, IT head at the institute, explained, βOnce a student clicks to record presence, it is indicated on the screen for the professor to verify. If there is any doubt, the professor can nullify the record and ask the student to re-record attendance. The professor's approval finalises it in the system. This entire process has to be completed before the the slot turns inactive, as per the scheduled timetable recorded on the app and the system.β The pilot project began three months ago and the app also provides other facilities like recorded video lectures, library information, assignment deadlines and data regarding submitted projects. The system is in use for the 2012-14 MBA in Telecom (Systems) batch. Student Joel Jose said, βThe app has made attendance more transparent and convenient. There is no room for malpractice or proxy attendance.β Another student, Samson Meconnen, said, βBlacklists or defaulters' lists are not needed. The app records attendance, and also provides a complete analysis for each subject β where we are lacking and where we can afford to miss a little.β Zadpe added, βResponse has been positive β we are working on correcting some technical bugs. The institute also plans to initiate a similar app for parents, to inform them of the academic progress of their wards. βMany students are not locals. Their parents do not know how their ward is doing at the institute β whether s/he is attending class, if assignments are submitted on time, what the grades are like, and more. Such questions will be answered on the new app,β said Zadpe.
βΊβΊβΊ Once a student records attendance, it's indicated on a screen to verify. If there is a any doubt, the professor can nullify the record - Nitin Zadpe, IT Head, Mitsot