Introduction

Attendance is much more than going to class 

Regular attendance goes beyond fulfilling a requirement, it shapes lifelong learning habits crucial for personal and professional growth. It instils responsibility and commitment, fostering a proactive educational approach. Classroom engagement exposes students to diverse perspectives, critical discussions, and problem analysis, honing their ability to evaluate information and articulate thoughts clearly. Additionally, attendance facilitates timely feedback, aiding in identifying strengths and weaknesses and helping self-awareness, and ultimately enhancing learning effectiveness.

Beyond academics, attendance cultivates lifelong learning habits, instilling self-discipline, time management, and prioritisation skills. These skills are not limited to education but are elements that help empower individuals to achieve goals and achieve success in their personal and professional lives.

Are strict attendance policies more harmful than helpful?

While the research presented does indicate an undeniable correlation between attendance and academic performance, it’s crucial to acknowledge some counter-arguments to this. It’s important to mention that rigid attendance policies could do more harm on a students outcomes than more flexible policies.

Admit it, all of us here have skipped a class or a day of school/university because we weren’t having a good day, we weren’t feeling up to it, or many other reasons. And it is highly probable that because of that one day skipped, you didn’t miss a week, or a month, you just needed a day. Sometimes we all do. (Read here for a blog on mental health and school attendance.)

Not all learning happens within four walls. Independent study, online resources, and participation in extracurricular activities can contribute significantly to a student’s understanding, even if they miss some class time. Focusing solely on physical attendance might discount these alternative learning avenues. Learning styles and needs vary greatly among students. Some might thrive in traditional classroom settings, while others learn better through alternative methods or at their own pace. Rigid attendance policies can disadvantage those who benefit from flexibility and self-directed learning. Overly strict attendance policies might create a culture of fear and micromanagement, hindering student’s development, trust and personal responsibility.

So it’s important to present both arguments daily and objectively, acknowledging the potential benefits of attendance policies while advocating for a balanced approach which leads from trust and student motivation.

If student attendance isn’t mandatory at your school, and you feel attendance is lower than it could be, here are 5 key ways to improve student attendance.

Technology as an Ally in Attendance Tracking 

Improving student attendance is, in many ways, out of our control. Especially if student attendance is not mandatory, in a previous blog, we have written about whether student attendance should be mandatory in college. 

Fortunately, technology emerges as a powerful ally in tackling part of this issue. There are many innovative tools which can streamline attendance tracking, eliminating manual lists or roll calling, some of which are explained in this blog, with their advantages and disadvantages. We believe the best and most efficient way to track attendance is with Attendance Radar. 

Attendance Radar is an innovative app which streamlines the process of tracking student attendance. Leveraging Bluetooth technology, Attendance Radar transmits a secure singal from the instructor’s device to students’ smartphones via a hidden signal. With a single tap, students effectively mark themselves present. 

How it works is: teachers can set up a course within the app and students can join by selecting the appropriate signal emitted by the teacher’s app. During each class, the teacher can activate a signal which students can click on their app to mark themselves as present. The app then generates an attendance list which teachers can use to log attendance into their system. If students do not have a phone or have forgotten theirs, they can request the teacher to manually register their attendance. 

Our solution offers remarkable efficiency, enabling the seamless tracking of a class with hundreds of students in mere seconds. Farewell to attendance discrepancies, time-consuming manual processes, and student grievances over inaccurate attendance records.

We offer different versions of the app, starting off with its free version, to premium and finally a university tenant. If you would like to try Attendance Radar out, take a look here.

Conclusion 

While acknowledging individual needs and diverse learning styles, this blog has shown a strong link between attendance and academic success. But attendance isn’t just about physical presence, it’s the bridge of active engagement, critical thinking skills, self discipline and reflection to lasting knowledge. 

Cultivating a culture of responsible attendance empowers students to build upon classroom experiences and foster a foundation for lifelong learning and personal growth. 

Try out Attendance Radar to efficiently keep track of attendance.