Dive Brief:
- Lynn University will expand its iPad initiative, which equips every student on campus with a device, to include taking student attendance based on the location tracking.
- Campus Technology reports the Florida university will pilot Core Principle’s Class120 technology to track whether a student is in class based on the location of his or her iPad and, if he or she is not, send email or text alerts to the student.
- Administrators expect the tracking to improve attendance and, in turn, student performance.
Dive Insight:
Lynn University’s focus on attendance comes directly from data showing its students who miss one quarter of class time have a 68% chance of earning no higher than a 2.0 GPA, Campus Technology reports. This particular technology initiative — though convenient, as it is carried out using existing resources — could backfire based on privacy concerns. As the Class120 app only pings a student’s iPad during designated class times, administrators may be able to convince stakeholders that the benefits outweigh those concerns. The question, however, will be how often determined students figure out how to game the system, perhaps by sending their iPads to class with friends.