Attendance Check-in
We have been listening to your feedback and have made changes to attendance check-in for the 22/23 academic year, to make the process easier and more reliable for you. Make sure to read through this guide to understand what you will need to do to check-in at all of your in-person teaching sessions.
Why do we ask you to check in at your in-person classes?
We want to ensure that all students can receive the right support and guidance when they need it, which is why we ask you to check-in at all of your in-person classes. Checking in is your way of letting us know that you’re engaging with your studies, and if we notice that you haven’t done so, we’ll likely get in touch to check on your wellbeing and to see if you need some support.
We’re also legally obliged to let UKVI (if you’re in receipt of a Tier 4/Student Visa) and Student Loans Company (if you’re in receipt of student finance) know if you’re not meeting attendance requirements, so it’s really important that you keep us up to date by checking in.
You are expected to attend all your timetabled classes and use the myLboro app to check-in at all of these that are in-person. You do not need to check-in at any online classes you may have. If there is a reason you are not able to do so, you can use the myLboro app to inform your School.
Find out what's changed
We are now only using Geo-location (location services/GPS) to verify whether you were in the classroom at a specific moment in time. This is a more reliable method than was used previosuly, and means you no longer need to connect to Bluetooth beacons and eduroam WiFi when checking in.
We have also returned to an in-built timetable in the myLboro app, rather than linking out to the University website, so you no longer have to use Multi-Factor Authentication to view your timetable. This means your timetable now shows your classes in a schedule-style view with timetabled classes listed under each date.
You can still access your timetable in the previous view through the Online Student Timetable in a web browser, and this version will remain your primary source of detailed timetable information. You should use this online version to access links to any online classes and on-demand teaching content. Your module leader will clarify if there is any of this content for you as part of your studies. Please note that absence of a room code on a scheduled session will mean that the session will be conducted virtually.
You can now also check-in five minutes before your class is due to start, to minimise any disruption for you when your classes begin. You will still need to make sure that you are in the classroom when checking in.
How to use Attendance Check-in
Follow the steps in this guide to understand how to check-in at all of your in-person classes.
1. Getting started
Make sure you have downloaded the myLboro app and are set-up ready to use it. You can download the myLboro app from the Apple or Android app stores and then log in to the app with your University account. Make sure your device has permission for the app to access location services (we recommend setting it to “only when in use”).
For Android users, if you want to receive reminders before your classes are due to start, you will need to give the myLboro app permission to send notifications.
2. Checking in at your in-person classes
You will receive a notification 15 minutes before your class start time, and another notification shortly before the class is scheduled to begin. You can check-in at any time during your class, as well as up to 5 minutes before it is scheduled to begin, which is when the check-in window will open.
Make sure you are in the correct teaching room and follow these steps:
- Make sure your device's Geo-location (location services) are turned on
- Open the myLboro app
- Tap on the 'Attendance check-in' tile
- Find your current class. If this isn't displayed immediately, tap refresh and wait for it to load.
- Tap "Check-in"
3. What happens next
When you tap “Check-in” you should see a green tick to confirm your check-in has been received. This isn’t the end of the process, as the app will verify the location of your device at that precise moment in time and compare it to the location coordinates of the classroom in your timetable. The app provider then tells the University the distance your device was away from your timetabled room at the point you tapped “Check-in”, and whether that is close enough to confirm you were in your class.
We only receive this information for the exact moment when you press the check-in button. We do not store the coordinates of where your device was and we do not receive any location information at any time other than when you press the check-in button.
You should look at your Check-in History on the app at the end of your class to confirm your attendance was successfully verified.
Need help?
If you have any difficulty using the app to record your attendance, please see the Troubleshooting guide for assistance using the App. If you continue to have problems, please contact IT Services for support.
Frequently asked questions
How does the University use the data which is collected?
We use the location data collected to confirm your attendance and engagement to the Student Loans Company (if you have borrowed money for either maintenance or tuition fees) or the UKVI (if you are studying in the UK under the conditions of a Tier 4/Student Visa). We also use this information to ensure that you are engaged with your programme and may contact you if we are concerned that you are not participating in enough teaching sessions and/or we have concerns about your well-being.
When should I use attendance check-in?
You should record your attendance at all timetabled in-person teaching sessions. You no longer need to do this for online sessions, such as those delivered on MS Teams.
The myLboro app will allow you to check in from five minutes before the session is scheduled to start and up to an hour after a session finishes, but we strongly recommend you do so as soon as you arrive in the teaching room.
How do I check if my check-in was successfully verified?
You can view your Check-in History in the Attendance Check-in tile. There are four coloured indicators which could appear next to your timetabled classes to let you know more about what was recorded by the app.
- Not checked-in – you did not attempt to check-in to this timetabled class and have been recorded as not attending.
- Awaiting verification – the app is yet to verify your check-in. Please check back later.
- Check-in verified – your check-in attempt was successfully verified as your device’s location matched that of the teaching room. You were recorded as attending.
- Location not verified – the app was not able to verify that your device’s location matched that of the teaching room. This could be because either your device wasn’t in the timetabled teaching room at the correct time when you checked in or there was an issue when attempting to check-in (such as not having the right permissions enabled for the myLboro app). This will also show if you had an online class in your timetable – as there was no teaching room for this class, it will not impact on your attendance record.
What should I do if I am unable to attend a class?
If you are unable to attend a class, perhaps because you are unwell or you must attend an interview for a work placement, you should use the myLboro app to mark yourself as absent for that session. If you expect to be absent for a week or more, you should email your School and let them know so they can discuss any impact on your studies with you.
What should I do if I forget to check-in?
If you forgot or couldn’t check-in to one of your classes, don’t worry, just try to remember to check-in at the rest of your classes.
Can my attendance record be changed after a session has finished?
Your attendance record can’t be changed, either by your School or IT Services. If you were unable to check in to the app because of a technical issue (such as your timetabled session not showing), then please visit our Troubleshooting guide for assistance recording your attendance at your next sessions. If you continue to have problems, please contact IT Services for support.
What should I do for teaching sessions where I’m not allowed to use my phone (e.g. practical labs)?
For some teaching sessions, such as practical labs and fieldwork, it is not permitted to use your phone. It is likely that your lecturer will have an alternative method for recording your attendance for these sessions and should let you know about this in advance.
Does the University record my academic engagement with Learn or ReVIEW?
It is important that you engage with the Learn content for your modules as well as attending your in-person teaching sessions. To ensure that you are effectively engaging with your studies, we keep an overview of your engagement with resources on Learn and ReVIEW, but will primarily look at your in-person attendance as a way of understanding whether you are participating in your studies.