EphAttend (student attendance tracking pilot)

Overview

Academic Technology Services is piloting EphAttend (2-min demo video),  a privacy-preserving, two-part attendance tool that works within the existing GLOW (Canvas) environment, in response to student attendance tracking.

The entire system is designed to be lightweight, require no backend infrastructure, and ensure all attendance data remains on the faculty member's local device. This in-house solution offers significant advantages over potential vendor products or more complex systems:

• Privacy-first by design: No student data is ever stored on an external server. The app’s processing and data storage is handled locally on the faculty member's device, aligning with FERPA guidelines and safeguarding student privacy.
• Zero infrastructure cost: The entire system operates without a backend, eliminating the need for server maintenance, security patching, or on-going hosting costs.
• Designed for easy user experience: By integrating directly into GLOW and using familiar web technologies, the tools are intuitive for faculty and require no complex installation or setup.
• Lightweight and sustainable: The solution is minimalist, avoids software bloat, and ensures long-term maintainability.

If you are interested in joining the EphAttend pilot, please reach out to your Academic Technology Consultant. We're happy to test this tool with you and/or discuss fit for your needs. 

Requirements

EphAttend consists of:

• GLOW QR Code Generator: A simple JavaScript bookmarklet that allows faculty to generate a complete set of unique student QR codes directly from their course’s “People” page in GLOW. The tool outputs a print-ready grid of codes, each labeled with the student's name and username or Canvas ID.
  • Requires a one time addition to your browser's bookmark bar, a one time download and print of QR codes.

• PWA Attendance Scanner: A Progressive Web App (PWA) that runs on any mobile device or laptop with a camera. Faculty and TAs can use the app to scan the student QR codes. All attendance data is stored locally on the device, organized by date, and can be exported at any time into a single .csv file for record-keeping.
  • Requires a one time app download to your preferred smart device(s).

DIY instructions

Academic Technology Services would be happy to guide you through the below instructions and offer testing opportunities.

Generate and Distribute QR Codes

1. From your preferred browser, make sure your bookmark bar is visible (e.g., for Chrome, click the 3 vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner, click Bookmarks and Lists, click Show Bookmarks Bar.)
2. Navigate to https://gpetruzella.github.io/ephattend-qr/ , and drag-and-drop the blue "Generate Canvas QR Codes" button onto your browser's Bookmarks toolbar.
3. Navigate to any GLOW course's People page.
   • Note: GLOW only automatically loads the first 50 names. If your roster has over 50 students, scroll down to load all names.
4. Click the new "Generate Canvas QR Codes" bookmark from your Bookmarks bar to generate a PDF with student names, usernames, and QR codes.
5. Print and distribute to students. 

 

Install and Use EphAttend App

1. On your attendance-taking device, navigate to https://gpetruzella.github.io/ephattend/ and click the "Install App" button.
   • On iOS devices, use Share > Add to Home Screen.
2. Launch the Attendance app. The current date is automatically loaded.
3. Tap the "Start Scanning" button (allowing camera permissions when prompted).
4. When a student successfully scans their QR code, their name and usernames are listed.
5. Tap "Stop Scanning" when attendance is done.
6. Tap the "Export All Attendance (CSV)" button to download the cumulative record, sorted by date.

Note: Multiple attendance-taking devices can be used, and all .csv spreadsheets can be combined post-data collection.