UPDATED: March 29, 2018 at 11:13 a.m.

An iSchool professor’s new class attendance app might make you think twice about skipping your morning lecture.

Yun Huang, an assistant professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, was recently awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for her development of Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon technology, which allows users to track the movements of their peers across campus and in the classroom.

The technology is on trial in Hinds Hall, which houses the iSchool. Some flooring in the building is marked by white tiles printed with a blue “S” that mark designated areas for Bluetooth technology. Through her research, Huang developed SU Connect, a mobile app used by professors to keep track of student attendance. As part of course enrollment, students are expected to download the app, which automatically verifies their attendance in lectures.

Huang said the technology converges the tech world with students’ own reality.

“We start from the research, but then it will hit the market that meet the real needs,” Huang said. “This is a good transition that demonstrates there is a synergy between research and applied research.”

Huang said the most important element of the app is its measure of success on campus. And particularly for college students entering the final months of the semester, attendance apps add a layer of accountability.

“Using Beacon technology was first inspired by how to improve awareness of campus resources,” Huang said. “But then it evolved to be class attendance, because that’s the entry point of how it gets to the student population.”

Because big lectures usually consist of more than 200 students, it can be difficult for professors to keep track of which students are consistently attending lectures. And with finals season a mere month away, being present and engaged in class is more important than ever.

Jeff Rubin, an associate professor in the iSchool, said the iBeacon technology is helping professors keep track of class attendance and, in turn, academic success.

“There’s the beacons, SpotterEDU and the human element,” Rubin said. “I can raise a flag for anyone who has been there for less than 50 percent of the class. And so now I can correlate attendance to exam scores, which I couldn’t do in the past. That becomes really powerful to assist in a student’s education, to be able to have communication with students based on data.”

Class attendance is a key factor in academic success. For professors in large lectures, the ability to track student attendance translates to how they can anticipate student performance on exams.

“My exams are very much based on lecture materials,” Rubin said. “If you’re not there for the lecture materials, chances are you are not going to do well in the exam. But I was never able to prove that point. Now I can.”

Huang said the technology is only gaining momentum. More than 10 instructors expressed interest in downloading the SU Connect app for their classes, and about 700 students are currently using the app.

So next time you want to skip class for a Netflix binge, give a second thought to apps that can track whether you’re in class or not. Your GPA will thank you later.

Eldon Tsoi is a freshman information management technology major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at eltsoi@syr.edu.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, iSchool professor Jeff Rubin was misquoted. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on March 28, 2018 at 9:02 pm