Are you manually taking attendance in class and keeping track of a semester’s worth of attendance on pieces of paper? Save yourself valuable class time and the trouble of potentially losing these records by using the new UNC Check-In app 
.
The UNC Check-In app allows instructors to specify brief time intervals during which students mark themselves present when in proximity to Bluetooth beacons, which are now available in all General Purpose Classrooms . More great news — you can import your class attendance directly into the Sakai Attendance tool and link it to the Gradebook.
We are very excited to release this app to campus and want to give a huge thanks to Teaching Professor in the Psychology Department, Dr. Viji Sathy, who has been instrumental in the development of this app and its continued improvements. Hear more from Dr. Sathy about the benefits to students and instructors in the ITS Annual Report .
“When I contact students about missing [class], they’ve been surprised that I’d do so given the size of our class. They are genuinely touched that the instructor would reach out to them individually to check on them.”
— Dr. Viji Sathy
We’re also thrilled that our project team won a UNC IT Team Award at the 2019 CTC Retreat. Thanks to Dr. Sathy and everyone who has provided feedback.
1) Getting Started
Instructor: Add your course to the UNC Check-In app system . Your course should be added within 30 minutes.
Students: Install the UNC Check-In app on your smartphone [Google Play | App Store ]. Allow Location access only “While Using the App.” Log into the app with your Onyen.
2) Take Attendance
Instructor: In your classroom, go to the UNC Check-In Dashboard and manually open the 15-minute check-in window. If a student cannot check in, you can manually enter their attendance on the dashboard.
Students: On your phone, open the UNC Check-In app, select your class, and click “Check Into Class.” You must be in the classroom with the Bluetooth beacon assigned to your class to manually check yourself in. You should receive confirmation once successfully checked in.
Note on Student Privacy: Location services must be enabled only while using the app in order for your smartphone to detect the Bluetooth beacon in the classroom. Your location is never saved or shared. Students must actively check themselves in, as the app does not automatically record your attendance.
3) Review / Grade
Instructor: Access the UNC Check-In Dashboard to manage your class attendance. On the dashboard is where you will open the check-in window, manually check-in students, make updates, and export the attendance data. The attendance data can be imported into the Sakai Attendance tool and linked to the Gradebook.
Students: You may view your “Check-In Records” on the app (hamburger menu) or through the UNC Check-In Dashboard for the current semester. If you want to see past terms, contact us through “Support Request” from the app menu.
Get Help
We invite you to review the Instructor FAQ and Student FAQ to see step-by-step instructions with screenshots. Within the app hamburger menu, you can:
- Submit a “Support Request”
- See a quick “Tutorial” on using the app
- “Send Feedback”