There was a presentation at Educause 2014 on this very topic. One of the things that made their approach more successful was treating it as a research project done as part of coursework in a CS (or CS-like) class, and letting students be the genesis of the system. Sourcing tools like this (at least in part) from the student population makes it more likely that you'll end up with something they're excited about.
Dave Flynn Manager of Systems and Infrastructure Carleton College 507 222 7836 - office 651 331 6323 - cell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Helman" <bhel...@salemstate.edu> To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 10:35:53 AM Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] Attendance Can someone repost this on April 1 st . There are many of us who would like to chime in. Joking aside, I vaguely remember reading that some schools (I believe they were public high schools in the US) were looking to use ID cards for this purpose, tracking the prox chips. I don’t know what is/would be worse, a faculty member needing to take a head count or a faculty member trying to figure out why that head count is 20 while the RF attendance says 25, because friends were bringing friends’ ID cards to class. Just think of the entrepreneurial opportunities here! -Brian From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU] On Behalf Of Joe Rogers Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 11:29 AM To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] Attendance Those are exactly the same points I raised with my administration. I also threw in there that some students (very few these days) may not have a mobile device to use for that 'check-in'. Joe Rogers Associate Director, Network Engineering University of South Florida – Information Technology On 11/24/2014 11:01 AM, Lee H Badman wrote: I can think of a few concerns. I give you my tablet to take to class, and I’m there without being there. I give you my credentials to put on your device- you get “seen” as you, then me. We’re both there without me being there. Client devices may not connect to the AP in the room. There may be no AP in the room… how close to the room is close enough if I connect to the floor above/below or adjacent room/hallway? And who sorts it all out? To me as an instructor, nothing is easier than good old paper sign-in. And if you didn’t sign in, you weren’t there. Period. Not everything needs to have a tech edge on it, and I’m as tech geeky as it gets… -Lee Lee Badman Wireless/Network Architect ITS, Syracuse University 315.443.3003 (Blog: http://wirednot.wordpress.com ) From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv [ mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU ] On Behalf Of Patrick Mauretti Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 10:11 AM To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] Attendance Funny you should ask, as we are looking into doing the same thing here. I’d love to see someone have it in place to know what the pitfalls might be. Patrick Mauretti Sr. Network Admin Massasoit Community College 1 Massasoit Blvd Brockton, MA 02302 508-588-9100 x1660 “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv [ mailto:WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU ] On Behalf Of Joe Rogers Sent: Monday, November 24, 2014 6:16 AM To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] Attendance Are any folks currently using their wireless networks to verify class attendance? For example, are you checking that a wireless device authenticated by a student was in the classroom? -- Joe Rogers Associate Director, Network Engineering University of South Florida – Information Technology ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/ . ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/ . ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/ . ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/ . ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
