A story that appeared across many news outlets this weekend featured a new mobile app that alerts parents and college athletic staff when a student skips class. 45% of the 2 million students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities won’t graduate – a troubling statistic that drove Class120’s founder to develop the app.
As a parent of 19-year old twin boys headed to college in the fall, this story hit home. As college costs soar, I feel I have every right to wonder whether my tuition dollars are being put to good use. But tracking my kids’ attendance isn’t the answer. It doesn’t solve the core problem, which is: why isn’t Junior attending class in the first place?
Even if he attends every class doesn’t mean he is actually learning. More likely, he might be surfing social media or napping in the back row. Skipping, surfing and sleeping become less of an issue if classes are engaging, interactive and dare we say it - even fun.
Dr. Perry Samson of the University of Michigan is proof positive that active learning works. He’s been using a student engagement solution in his classes for several years now and has very few issues with attendance (just see the hundreds of smiling students in the photo below). 
Since introducing the student engagement solution into his classes, he’s observed a significant increase in student participation and even more importantly, a direct correlation between in-class participation and higher exam scores. In over 2 semesters of his Meteorology course, he’s collected data supporting the theory that in-class participation leads to better outcomes. He found that students who simply responded to 80-100% of questions during class had a mean exam score of about 88% for three hourly exams. Those who responded to just 20-40% of questions had a mean score of just 65%.
His experience shows that engaging students and enabling them to participate anonymously using their own mobile devices is much more likely to keep them coming back to class than the traditional “sage on the stage” lecture approach.
So instead of using technology to try and identify the students blowing off classes, why not use it to change teaching and learning so that they actually WANT to attend class for fear of missing out on the fun?
Now there’s a one-of-kind solution for higher ed that does exactly that: the Echo360 Active Learning Platform.
Sure, administrators and instructors can track attendance within the platform’s analytics. But by using the solution to gamify classes, get students engaged and spark conversation, attendance becomes less of an issue.
The Active Learning Platform turns the classroom into an active learning zone by creating a connection between instructors and students and fueling peer-to-peer learning for a more engaging and rewarding learning experience. When students are fully engaged in their own learning, they’re less likely to hit that snooze button in lieu of going to class.
I’m much more concerned about my sons having access to modern, student-centric learning approaches using tools like the Active Learning Platform inside and outside of class rather than trying to play detective if they’re not in their seats.
Active learning is the ultimate deterrent to absenteeism – not an app that tracks students like they’re back in high school.
