Class attendance monitoring system using NFC technology

Abstract

The ubiquitous nature of ICT has made it possible to create innovations which have contributed to efficiency across different industries. As such, ICT has been applied in different areas of educational management, from content creation and distribution to electronic assessments. More recently, it has been applied in the monitoring of class attendance in different institutions across the world. Local institutions still rely on manual monitoring of this information, and as such prompted this research which seeks to find a lasting solution to this problem through the application of ICT. NFC technology involves wireless communication between digital devices through the use of electromagnetic signals. This technology has been used for a variety of purposes, especially in electronic payments. The properties of NFC tags which allow identification information to be written on them has made it possible for the technology to be used in place of biometric technologies. NFC has therefore emerged as a means through which identification can be done using a device with an NFC tag and read through an NFC reader. This research presents preliminary information relating to the class attendance monitoring process. Informed by the growing need for automation in this process, this document has addressed the challenges and opportunities for change around manual class attendance monitoring. Relevant literature was reviewed in an effort to differentiate a solution that has be applied to the current local situation. The qualitative method was used to obtain information on the challenges faced with the current manual system, and thereafter the prototyping methodology used to develop the solution which is based on the NFC technology. The intention of this research paper was to revolutionize the ways in which attendance information is collected within institutions of higher learning.