> > The assumption in SchoolTool 2006 is that every teacher has their own > > networked computer running in every class, and that the teacher will > > enter attendance data in real time, via the SchoolTool web interface. > > I don't know why, in this iteration, we would be worrying about > > interfacing with other applications, which probably won't be used at > > our test schools. > > > > I'm sure we'll also come up with forms to allow relatively efficient > > entry of data by a clerk who is entering the data for the whole > > school, but I'm more interested in the case where every teacher has a > > computer. In the longer run, we'll want to add support for taking > > attendance via pda, cell phone, & scanned paper forms, but that's down > > the road. > > As a teacher who's quite comfortable with computers (read: is a > programmer), I can't imagine entering attendance data in real time > into a web interface -- even if it were a slick hula or google-maps > style web-interface. I've got too much to pay attention to in class to > go back to a computer in the midst of class -- any regular tracking > system I use has to fit onto a clipboard or equivalent. > > I'd think it would be worth prioritizing a good interface for data > entry at the end of the day/week/month by an individual teacher or a > clerk. Going from my experience, I'd say this should come *before* the > real-time-attendance-entry you've described -- we're still waiting on > computers that feels like paper to make real time data entry in class > practical.
I think it is safe to say we'll have both. Neither seems particularly costly. But I would feel rather silly if six months from now I was presenting a web based assessment system that didn't allow you to directly enter attendance during class. > The best system I've seen at a school for getting this information > from teachers was simply e-mail: we e-mailed a list of absent and late > students at the end of each day. This was relatively easy on teachers > as absence and tardiness were relatively rare, so often we had to type > only a few names or nothing at all. Of course, with a bit of > constraint on the abbreviations teachers used, a script could have > been whipped together to read the e-mails into whatever the database > was the office was using. I'd hope that schooltool would provide > something equally easy for teachers and basically cut out the time the > office spent reading the e-mails and entering the data. Trying to automate that sounds vastly more error prone than unchecking boxes on a web form. If you've got a human reading emails and entering absence info into web forms when teachers could do it just as easily, you're wasting time and money. --Tom ------------------------------ As someone who was previously (and more or less successfully...) associated with developing a web based attendance form, I heard very similar arguments regarding the difficulty/lack of time of doing registers any way other than the traditional paper and ink method. The end result however was an interface easier and quicker to use than paper and ink, with the added bonus of identifying unauthorised absences (may be a UK only concept?) in real time e.g. school administrators could be contacting parents, social services or other concerned parties within an hour, while provding a far more information rich system to the interested teacher, e.g. reasons for authorised absence, rate of absence and automated pattern spotting. The key is to design an interface that reduces the need for focus on the screen and some sensible process analysis. For instance, a paper register requires the user to identify a name/row/column and enter a mark for present or absent as names are called and responses received. The web interface can pre-mark absent (risk reduction - accidental submission of an empty class much easier to spot and query than a class completely full), then a simple tab moves down the correct column, with space pressed to set a radio button for present, and nothing pressed for absent. This only requires the user to call names and actually reduces the time spent with focus off the pupils. Cheers Chris </delurk> This message may contain information and/or data that is confidential and legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that any use, publication, reproduction or dissemination is strictly prohibited and may violate certain laws. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by return e-mail and destroy this and all copies of this message and/or data. The content of this message has been scanned by NetIQ MailMarshal for unacceptable language and inappropriate content. European Electronique limited thanks you in anticipation of your co-operation.
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