Logging attendance

[Lightfoot26]

We use a system called TimeClock MTS in conjunction with a monitor and numpad screwed to the wall right as you walk into the shop.

[Sebastian_341]

341 has used a 2-step fingerprint scanner to log attendance for the past couple of seasons. Students scan their thumbprint at the door and then punch in their student ID number to verify.

[notmattlythgoe]

I'm planning on rewriting our time keeping system this summer. I'm thinking about building in different sign in/out techniques to include at minimum a pin ID system, a finger print reader, and maybe a QR reader. I'd be happy to release it to the community when it is done. What other things would you guys like to see included?

[Kimmeh]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

include at minimum a pin ID system, a finger print reader, and maybe a QR reader

Not an attack against you or your team, but an honest question:
Is that really necessary?

Maybe I've just been involved with small teams (who need all the students we can get), but it seems like over-kill to me. Or do you (larger teams) have serious issues with students fudging numbers?

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Kimmeh

Not an attack against you or your team, but an honest question:
Is that really necessary?

Maybe I've just been involved with small teams (who need all the students we can get), but it seems like over-kill to me. Or do you (larger teams) have serious issues with students fudging numbers?

It's not really a problem with students fudging numbers, it just makes it easier to total the 30 students hours with the click of a button. It also just takes the press of a finger (finger print reader is what we use) to sign in and out. The students can also check at any point how many hours they've accumulated throughout the season.

[Kimmeh]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

It also just takes the press of a finger (finger print reader is what we use) to sign in and out. The students can also check at any point how many hours they've accumulated throughout the season.

So you're only using one? The way your post read (that I initially quoted) sounded like students needed to log in with all three.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Kimmeh

So you're only using one? The way your post read (that I initially quoted) sounded like students needed to log in with all three.

Oh, my bad. I meant as in the ability to do any of the 3 from the one program. We prefer the finger print reader because, well its hard to forget your finger at home, but I was thinking I'd build in the ability to use a pin or QR reader if any other teams wanted to take advantage of the program.

[cjl2625]

Originally Posted by Kimmeh

Not an attack against you or your team, but an honest question:
Is that really necessary?

Maybe I've just been involved with small teams (who need all the students we can get), but it seems like over-kill to me. Or do you (larger teams) have serious issues with students fudging numbers?

This does seem like a but much... I still don't quite understand why teams put so much importance on keeping track of hours.
What's the main reason why you teams keep track of it? Travel?

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by cjl2625

This does seem like a but much... I still don't quite understand why teams put so much importance on keeping track of hours.
What's the main reason why you teams keep track of it? Travel?

We require 60 hours of build season time to travel to a competition. We also require 100 hours of build season time to be eligible to be in a leadership position or be on the drive team.

We also do it for safety and protection reasons. If we have students logging in we know who and at what times they are there. This way if we ever have to go back and track down if a student was at the school on a certain night for certain times for any reason we can.

[MechEng83]

Originally Posted by cjl2625

This does seem like a but much... I still don't quite understand why teams put so much importance on keeping track of hours.
What's the main reason why you teams keep track of it? Travel?

I have several motivations when I track our kids' times. We have travel and varsity letter requirements related to how much time kids travel. Signing in and out is important so we know who is on site and if anyone has left. On our team, we try to give the kids real-world experience in design, manufacturing, business management, etc. One of the real-life things they learn to do is sign in and out of work. The kids also use it as a competition to say who logged the most hours during build season.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by cjl2625

This does seem like a but much... I still don't quite understand why teams put so much importance on keeping track of hours.
What's the main reason why you teams keep track of it? Travel?

For us, it's an official attendance record to earn class credit, and the student with the most hours is recognized at the end of the season. It's also a sanity check.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by cjl2625

This does seem like a but much... I still don't quite understand why teams put so much importance on keeping track of hours.
What's the main reason why you teams keep track of it? Travel?

We set some basic minimum standards to travel with the team and attend events. For us it's 40 hours. Theoretically the team meets 100 hours in a build season, but we always end up adding more meetings than that, so students need to be there about a third of the possible time to travel.