Attendance Check-in

Attending your classes plays a key role in creating a better learning experience for yourself and other students, and using Attendance Check-in helps the University to understand how well you are keeping up with your studies. Make sure to read through this guide to understand why we ask you to check-in and how to do so.

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 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 attend a class, you can use the myLboro app to inform your School you weren't there. 

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 have logged in with your University account. You can download the myLboro app from the Apple or Android app stores. 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:

  1. Make sure your device's Geo-location (location services) are turned on
  2. Open the myLboro app
  3. Tap on the 'Attendance check-in' tile
  4. Find your current class. If this isn't displayed immediately, tap refresh and wait for it to load.
  5. 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. If you were in the timetabled room during the time of your session, then your check-in should be accepted.

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

Why was my check-in unsuccessful?

There are a number of reasons why your check-in might have been unsuccessful. The most common reasons for a failed check-in, and some suggestions about how to resolve these, are as follows:

  1. Your device was too far from the coordinates of the room where your class was timetabled to take place when you tapped "Check-in." At your next in-person class, make sure you are in the room displayed on your timetable before checking-in.
  2. You didn't check-in during the check-in window. The check-in window opens five minutes before your class is due to start and runs for the duration of your class. At your next in-person class, make sure you attempt to check-in during the time when the class is timetabled for. Changing the time on your device will result in check-in attempts to be blocked by our Attendance system, even if they show as "succesful" on the myLboro app.
  3. There was a technical issue with your phone or the myLboro app. Please see our Troubleshooting guide for ways to resolve this. If you continue to have problems, please contact IT Services for support.

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 awhilst your class is taking place, so that you are in the correct location.

Do I still need to connect to Bluetooth and/or Eduroam WiFi to check-in?

No. At the start of the 22/23 academic year we moved away from using Bluetooth beacons and Eduroam WiFi connections to verify check-in attempts. Instead, we now just use Geo-location (locations services/GPS) as the single verification method for check-ins. This has shown to be much easier to use and more reliable since it was implemented.   

How do I know 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-inyou 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 succesful – 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.

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.

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. The University looks at overall patterns of student attendance, so if we notice that you haven’t checked in for a number of consecutive classes, we’ll likely get in touch to check on your wellbeing. 

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.

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.

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.

How does Attendance Check-in relate to my timetable?

Attendance Check-in is driven by the information that is displayed in your timetable, which you can view through the myLboro app or through a web browser.

Your primary source of detailed timetable information is the Online Student Timetable, viewable in a web browser. 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. 

At the start of the 22/23 academic year we returned to having an in-built timetable in the myLboro app, so you no longer have to use Multi-Factor Authentication to view your timetable this way. In the app, your timetable will show your classes in a schedule-style view with timetabled classes listed under each date.

We'd value your feedback

We would welcome your thoughts on the changes we have made and how you have found the experience of using Attendance Check-in so far. Please complete the following short online survey, so that we can continue to make improvements to the Attendance Check-in process.

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