A Sea Of Red

Let me preface this by saying I don't know what exactly this is, but I heard about it and thought it was weird/dumb.

Apparently some classes are starting to require a $50 attendance "clicker" that all students have to buy so they can be counted for class.

That seems a little ridiculous to me. If the professor is too lazy to pass a sheet around or some other way of taking attendance, then there shouldn't be an attendance policy. Tuition and books are enough already, now students are going to have to pay an extra price just to be counted present in class? That's cheating the student.

One of my accounting classes a few years ago required this, but it wasn't just used for attendance it was also used to take quizzes

I just found out more. It's $22 and then a $50 service fee. So basically, $77 to be counted for class, on top of tuition and the $125 book.

Im glad I Dont have a class like that... I wouldnt go... Not that I go too often anyway.


Honestly, Is it really that difficult to pass around a sign in sheet? If everyone in that class paid me 50 dollars I will personally check them in myself. Secondly, We are all adults there shouldnt be an attendance policy anyway if we dont want to go and waste time and money then let the student waste it. This whole thing is stupid.... What if the batteries die in your clicker? Looks like your grade gets docked... What if you forget it?... What stops you from walking in a clicking it and going home?... If they used a clicker for convo the vines would be half empty haha... Please some teacher tell me why this is happening and why they wouldnt pass out a sign in sheet.

My old professors had a far simpler method of attendance-taking --- quizzes.

haha true.

attendance clicker? what in the world is that? is there a picture available, i've never heard of such a thing.

It is like an interactive remote control, and can be used for testing purposes, attendance, etc.

http://www.einstruction.com/

There are several different kinds, this is not an advertisement. The middle school where I work uses them in all math classes and some other classes. BTW, students don't have to purchase them. They are a great instructional and can give immediate feedback. We use them with a portable whiteboard. They are great. Pricey, but great.

Go Flames.

I had one of these clickers for my coms 101 class my freshman year. The main issues was that it was a new system for the coms department at the time and by the time the sensors in the ceiling were installed the semester was almost over. To top it off the bookstore wouldnt buy it back since a "new model" came out.

As far as the check-in sheet goes I prefer that but I also know how dishonest students today are and the clicker prevents one student from signing in all his buddies who are to lazy to come to class, unless of course one guy carries all the clickers but most college students who need someone to check them in aren't smart enough to send the clicker with someone else.

RagingTireFire wrote:My old professors had a far simpler method of attendance-taking --- quizzes.

Did I have you for class??? That was always my best way for attendance. Yes I WAS too lazy to take attendance, plus I felt like we were in Elementary school. YOu may only miss 3 days of class but if those three days I had pop quizzes, then it sucked to be you. And of course the quizes were SOOOO hard!

See, to me, you're paying tuition (or your parents are). If you want to waste your money by not showing up to class, then it's your problem. You miss enough class, you fail -- it's that simple.

If the school wants to go high tech with this system (the school I used to teach at won one at a technology conference a few years ago, and they are nifty), each student should get one at registration and they should be funded by the technology fee. That seems the easiest way to handle it. You could even offer a deposit for them, and when the student returns it at the end of the year they get part of their money back.

phoenix wrote:If the school wants to go high tech with this system (the school I used to teach at won one at a technology conference a few years ago, and they are nifty), each student should get one at registration and they should be funded by the technology fee.

And you/your parents will still end up paying for it, it just wouldn't be as blatantly obvious that you are paying for it compared to how it's apparently handled now...

all of my accounting classes require a clicker. it is occassionally used for attendance, but is mostly used for quizzes, class participation, test days, and group activities. you buy the clicker one time, then either pay $15 every time you enroll in a class that requires it, or pay $45-50 for lifetime subscription. although it's ridiculous if solely used for attendance, it is useful for many other things.

what is the point of the subscriptions? Does it really cost $15 to most likely just type somebody's remote code into a computer.

Purple Haize wrote:

RagingTireFire wrote:My old professors had a far simpler method of attendance-taking --- quizzes.

Did I have you for class??? That was always my best way for attendance. Yes I WAS too lazy to take attendance, plus I felt like we were in Elementary school. YOu may only miss 3 days of class but if those three days I had pop quizzes, then it sucked to be you. And of course the quizes were SOOOO hard!

lol - yeah or assigning the Olympic Project.....

Rocketfan wrote:

Purple Haize wrote:

RagingTireFire wrote:My old professors had a far simpler method of attendance-taking --- quizzes.

Did I have you for class??? That was always my best way for attendance. Yes I WAS too lazy to take attendance, plus I felt like we were in Elementary school. YOu may only miss 3 days of class but if those three days I had pop quizzes, then it sucked to be you. And of course the quizes were SOOOO hard!

lol - yeah or assigning the Olympic Project.....

Wait.... you went to college?!

Rocketfan wrote:

Purple Haize wrote:

RagingTireFire wrote:My old professors had a far simpler method of attendance-taking --- quizzes.

Did I have you for class??? That was always my best way for attendance. Yes I WAS too lazy to take attendance, plus I felt like we were in Elementary school. YOu may only miss 3 days of class but if those three days I had pop quizzes, then it sucked to be you. And of course the quizes were SOOOO hard!

lol - yeah or assigning the Olympic Project.....

Laugh if you will, but you STILL remember it. I bet you even remember some of the more salient facts. YOU didn't have to grade them!! And seriously, it wasnt THAT hard!