SCUPI Teaching Seminar | Simplify and Enhance Class Attendance Monitoring
Published on: October 20, 2023 | Views: 1225
On October 18, 2023, Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute (SCUPI) held its first teaching seminar for the 2023 fall semester in Room 4-204 of the Liberal Arts Building. The seminar was led by Dr. Sophia Zuoqiu, and the theme was “Simplify and Enhance Class Attendance Monitoring.” The event witnessed the active participation of Dr. TsunZee Mai, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of SCUPI, along with over 20 faculty members.
Class attendance plays an indispensable role in classroom education, serving a dual purpose. On one hand, it encourages students to assume responsibility for their learning by attending classes and paying attention, while on the other, it enables instructors to effectively evaluate their students’ performance, enhance classroom efficiency, and foster a positive academic atmosphere.
In Dr. Zuoqiu’s classroom, students’ attendance records are integrated into their course grades. The challenge of ensuring effective class attendance while maximizing lecture time was met with a solution – Chaoxing Learning Portal.
Chaoxing Learning Portal offers five distinct methods for attendance tracking: Ordinary Check-in, Pattern Check-in, GPS Location Check-in, QR Code Check-in, and Sign-in Code Check-in. Instructors have the flexibility to choose the check-in method and configure check-in activities in advance. After the check-in activity is published, instructors can review lists of student check-in statuses. They also have the option to manually adjust check-in results based on the actual situation, marking students as absent, on leave, late, or leaving early, among other options. Attendance data can be exported as an Excel spreadsheet for convenient statistical analysis and further processing.
Sichuan University has preloaded course information and the list of students who have registered for the course into the Chaoxing Learning Portal. Instructors only need to register for an account on the Chaoxing Learning Portal, log in to the website or mobile app to instantly access their assigned courses and manage class attendance. During the sharing session, participating instructors eagerly registered their accounts and experimented with the attendance management features on their mobile phones.
The atmosphere at the venue gradually became enthusiastic as Dr. Zuoqiu proceeded to showcase more of the classroom management features of the Chaoxing Learning Portal. These features included Quick Answer, Group Task, Survey, and other functionalities that were well-received by the students.
Simultaneously, Dr. Zuoqiu noted that while the Chaoxing Learning Portal has an English version, the student names imported into the system are in Chinese and cannot be changed. Therefore, foreign instructors may encounter language-related challenges when using the system. Interested instructors can seek assistance from teaching assistants to overcome these language-related difficulties.
The first teaching seminar of the 2023 fall semester concluded amid lively discussions among the attending teachers.
During this semester, the Institute will continue to invite instructors to lead and participate in teaching seminars and related activities. The Institute supports teachers in exploring and reflecting on their teaching practices and methodologies, promoting mutual inspiration and exchange, and working together to enhance the quality of teaching at SCUPI.