Aberystwyth University ('Aber') are already playing a prominent role in our Jisc learning analytics pilot project, and following-up on recent success in various higher education league tables, leading-edge IT is a key and core part of maintaining and enhancing the student experience at Aber. Aberystwyth has created their own automated student attendance tracking system – using purpose built hardware, linking into their (off-the-shelf) timetabling system, and their new tutor and student portal system (Aladdin). This demonstration will show some of how Aber has been able to make a significant cost-saving here (deploying across the whole campus), tackle some of the burning technical and operational issues here, and using this data for student intervention and ultimately as a key predictive data source for learning analytics.

1. Attendance Monitoring in Higher Education
Automated, cost-effective & essential data collection for descriptive & predictive learning analytics
RobWyn Jones – Jisc
Chris Stedham – Bath Spa University

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Attendance data – emergence, growth & relevancy
RobWyn Jones – Jisc
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Why Attendance Monitoring?
> Continual driver was, and still is, UKVI (auditable)
> Attendance slowly becoming a key retention indicator
> Used to enforce student attendance policies/ procedures
> Could really be a key predictive indicator for campus-based
HEIs (VLE vs Attendance: consistency & coverage)
> OU vs the rest – spot the difference?
> Automation vs Manual data collection – resource overheads
> Several HEIs implementing bespoke/ self-made solutions
> Several HEIs implementing expensive off-the-shelf solutions
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Market Research – Jisc Discovery
> Jisc Discovery – UCISA, LA Network + other channels
> 61 HEIs responded
> 51% use manual solutions, 41% automated solutions
> No clear leader in terms of preferred solution / vendor
> Need for close & seamless integration with timetabling/ SRS
> Simply too expensive – hardware, licenses, support
> Learning Analytics a driver; Jisc LA xAPI integration in place
> Jisc looking to support & delivery HEI pilots for cost-effective
automated attendance monitoring, sometime in 2017
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Next Steps –Talk to us!
> Looking for HEIs interested in piloting cost-effective solutions
(hardware & software), which are already in development or
full-service operation within the HE sector
> Jisc’s aim would be to support & possibly partner with HEIs
(subject to feasibility and successful pilot) to adoption of such
solutions, to save the sector significant sums of money;
> Anticipated as a key consistent engagement indicator: cost-
effective campus-wide adoption across several+ HEIs needed,
sooner rather than later (in-budget), to further enable learning
analytics/ student retention and attainment in UK HE;
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Homegrown Attendance Monitoring
Chris Stedham – Bath Spa University
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Our Journey to Attendance Monitoring
>Gemini 2000 card reader with in-house software
to gather taps
>StudentTimetable for attendance data –
Scientia
>Combine card reads and attendance data to
monitor attendance – QlikView
>Heavily utilized in-house skills to achieve this.
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>
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Challenges….
>Academic colleagues do not always use the timetabled space
in the way expected
>We launched as a trial, with features missing which we’ve had
to rapidly improve
>i.e. tapping students in who haven’t done it in time
>Biggest delay to initial project was installing readers in Grade
1 listed, concrete/glass buildings
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What next…..
>Phase 2 of project
>Roll out to other campuses
>Facility to input attendance retrospectively
>Hand-held monitoring devices
>Improved reporting
– Provide data to tutors
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Cost-effective attendance – Prifysgol Aberystwyth University
RobWyn Jones – Jisc
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Architecture (in-house development)
> Pilot - IS & Comp Sci jointly
> SRS (in-house: ASTRA)
> Scientia Integration
> Campus-wide rollout = LIVE
> ~ 300 access points
> Multiple points in some rooms
> Low (seriously low) cost!
> Minimal Support
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Now and next – campus wide learning analytics!
> Interventions based on attendance – aligned to policy, UKVI
> Aladdin – student/ staff tutoring system & dashboards
> Key to Learning Analytics (predictive), back to Aladdin (+ VLE)
> Staff T+A, ABW integration, exam attendance, security
> Improved efficiency: by reducing the level of manual
recording from 371k in 14-15 S1 to 62k in 15-16
> Increased attendance data collection: 371k in 14-15 S1 to
514k in 15-16 S1
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2015 2016
Semester1 Semester 2 Semester 1 Semester 2
Auto = collected via card swipe. Manual = entered via SAMS. Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual Auto Manual
Attendance recorded - 285,963 - 203,228 343,815 48,437 - -
Not attended - 85,811 - 100,238 108,095 14,099 - -
Statistic Details

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jisc.ac.uk
Except where otherwise noted, this work
is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND
> >
Contact – Jisc Learning Analytics Programme
RobWyn Jones
Senior Data & Analytics Integrator
Rob.Jones@jisc.ac.uk
Attendance Monitoring in Higher Education
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Chris Stedham
Head of IT Service Planning and Governance
c.stedham@bathspa.ac.uk