Vanguard has subscribed to Qwickly Attendance, which produces a standard attendance record for all courses across the institution. Adopting a centralized, consistent attendance tool aligns with our values of providing culturally responsive teaching and being able to identify struggling students beyond the individual course level. This investment is just one part of our combined approaches to support students.
The What, Why, and How of Qwickly Attendance
What – You will learn your options on how to take attendance using the Qwickly Attendance tool, in a way that produces a standard attendance record for all courses across the institution.
Why – Taking attendance using this tool enables the following:
- You will be able to see clearly how each student is attending and reach out as necessary.
- Student Support staff will be able to pull reports that will enable them to reach out to those that are trending poorly in attendance and grades and help them to be successful, leading to increased retention overall.
- Financial Aid staff will be able to pull reports for all students that will enable them to calculate proper “attendance verification” and “last date of attendance” data to help process student aid accurately.
- Veteran support staff will be able to pull reports for all VA students that will enable them to calculate proper “attendance verification” for certification and for both enrollment and housing funding.
- Institutional Research and other academic staff will be able to compare performance data of students that attend their courses online, in person, or in a hybrid format to help us improve all courses and the overall program assessment process.
How – As you would expect of any roll-taking tool, you could open up Qwickly at the start of a class, enter a label for the class session (e.g. week 1; session 1) and start checking off who is present. However, Qwickly has some features built into the system that automates some portion(s) of attendance taking. This page explores both synchronous and asynchronous options for taking attendance, using various automated and manual options.
| OPTION A – Synchronous attendance taken using check-in feature / asynchronous attendance checked off manuallyStep by Step Video Walkthrough
Description: This option is designed to have students who are present at a synchronous class (whether on campus or joining via web conference) be marked present with Qwickly’s check-in tool and also to manually mark students as ‘asynchronously’ present who completed the predetermined equivalent online assignment. Example: In an Old Testament class, John Sim marks 42 students present using the Qwickly check-in tool during a Zoom (web conference) session. He has a video lecture for students to watch who were not present at the scheduled class, including a quiz, the results of which he uses to mark students ‘asynchronously’ present, manually. Advantage: Most students would be automatically marked as ‘Present’ with the Qwickly check-in tool only a few students (those who completed the asynchronous assignment) will need to be marked as manually ‘Asynch Present.’ Disadvantage: Students can check into the Zoom/in person session without being in the Zoom/in person session if someone else from the class texts them the code to check-in. |
| OPTION B – Asynchronous attendance taken using Qwickly automatically1/ synchronous attendance checked off manuallyStep by Step Video Walkthrough
Description: This option is designed to have the automatic attendance be taken by those students who complete the asynchronous equivalent assignment on Canvas and to manually mark students who attend the synchronous class (whether on campus or joining via web conference) as present. Example: In an Old Testament class, John Sim identifies which asynchronous assignment will be used to count for attendance on a given week. Students who have completed the assignment are all marked present. Students who attended the synchronous/Zoom session are manually marked as present in Qwickly. Advantages: Students cannot check into the synchronous/Zoom session without being in the session. Students who completed the asynchronous assignment are automatically marked as ‘Present.’ Disadvantage: It is likely that most students (those participating in the synchronous session) would have to be manually marked as ‘Synch Present.’ |
1 The automatic Qwickly feature ‘User activity’ modes works with any internal Canvas assignment or external tool assignment within Canvas that pushes grades/submissions back to Canvas.
For those using the check-in feature on Qwickly Attendance, please make sure that students are using a laptop or the Canvas Student app when they are checking in. This will minimize/eliminate most problems that students may have experienced with this feature.
OPTION C – (FlexVU Attendance)
Synchronous/in person attendance taken using ‘Check-In’ feature and asynchronous attendance taken using ‘User Activity’ feature, and then merging attendance records into one record.
Description: This option is designed to have the automatic attendance be taken by those students who complete the asynchronous equivalent assignment on Canvas and to use the Check In feature mark students who attend the synchronous class (whether on campus or joining via web conference) as present.
Example: In an Old Testament class, John Sim identifies which asynchronous assignment will be used to count for attendance on a given week. Students who have completed the assignment are all marked present via the User Activity feature in Qwickly. Students who attended the synchronous/Zoom session are marked as present via the Check In feature in Qwickly.
Advantages: Students cannot check into the synchronous/Zoom session without being in the session. Students who attend the in person or Zoom session live are automatically marked as ‘Present.’ Students who completed the asynchronous assignment are automatically marked as ‘Present.’ There is no need for manual entry unless students were unable to check in or submit asynch work for some technical or professor approved reason. After both the Check In and User Activity features are used (at the end of one week or beginning of another), the records are then merged into one attendance record by the professor.
Disadvantage: The attendance record will not be accurate until the asynch submissions are used to trigger attendance recording via the User Activity feature at the end of the course week.
Step by Step Video Walkthrough
Asynchronous Attendance
Step by Step Video Walkthrough
Attendance is taken a minimum of once per week in an entirely asynchronous online course, using an assignment or some other type of online activity.
Description: This option is designed to mark students present who have completed the online assignment that is designated as having ‘attended’ class that week. Since there is no scheduled class during which to take role, the attendance is tracked using an assignment or other activity, instead.
Example: In an Old Testament class, John Sim has a video lecture for students to watch, along with a quiz. This assignment is used to mark students as ‘present’ during this particular week of the class. There are other assignments given during this week, but the video lecture/quiz is used for attendance purposes.
Advantage: No manual method must be used to take attendance.
Disadvantage: There isn’t a technical disadvantage, from an efficiency standpoint, since attendance is taken using one method and occurs just by setting which assignment to use.
Taking Attendance in a Course Using a Seating Chart
Step by Step Video Walkthrough
Taking Attendance in a Course with Multiple Sections
Alter an Attendance Record After Initial Attendance
Step by Step Video Walkthrough
For use with any attendance taking method (e.g. student missed checking in, you missed recording their attendance). It is possible to start the semester using the completely manual method and then switch over to another tracking option, but starting the semester using any other option and switching the method part way through would mess up the previous attendance record and should not be done. Choose your attendance-taking option and stick with it for the entirety of the course.
Adjust Settings Within Qwickly Attendance
Step by Step Video Walkthrough
Zoom Attendance
Free Account: Step by Step Video Walkthrough
Attendance reports are not available in the free/basic Zoom account. Instead, click the ‘chat’ icon at the bottom of the Zoom application window when you are holding a session and ask something like: “Please Check-In by Saying ‘Here’ in the Chat.”
You can then save the chat by clicking the three dots icon at the bottom of the chat window and use that information to enter grades in the gradebook in the same location as the Online/Missed Class Assignment. This can be done at any point in the Zoom session (not just at the beginning) to make sure your students are staying the whole time.
How to instruct students to change their name in Zoom to ensure attendance accuracy
It is possible for anyone to change their name to another person’s name on Zoom. However, by calling on students and otherwise engaging those who have joined you will negate most of the most flagrant issues.
Paid account: Step by Step Video Walkthrough