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You will learn how to use the attendance tool called Roll Call Attendance. This tool allows you to record each student's attendance one day at a time.
The attendance grade will report to the gradebook starting at 100 points using a running total. So, if a student misses one day out of 2, then he will have 50 points (or 50%). If a student attends 3 days out of 3, she will have 100 points (or 100%).
Follow these steps to enable the Roll Call Attendance tool in your course.
1. Enter your course and click on the Attendance link in the Course Navigation.
Tip: Students cannot see this Attendance link. Only instructors can.
If you do not see the Attendance link in the course navigation, then you will need to add it to the navigation in order to use it.
2. You will see a list of your students within the Roll Call Attendance Dashboard.
NOTE: Once you click anywhere within this Dashboard, the Roll Call Attendance Assignment will be added to your course!
If you decide you do not want to use this tool, you will need to delete the "Roll Call Attendance" Assignment from your Assignments page in your course.
By default, this Roll Call Attendance assignment is 100 points. Now is the best time to change the number of points that the assignment is worth (if you want to change it).
Warning: Do not change the name of the Roll Call Attendance Assignment; do not unpublish the Assignment, and do not change the points if the Assignment is in a weighted gradebook.
Do you want to change the number of points for attendance?
Follow these steps to change the point value for the Roll Call Attendance assignment. Remember, only change this value if you have NOT taken attendance at all and are not using a weighted gradebook.
2.1. Click on the Assignments link.
2.2. Click on the Roll Call Attendance Assignment.
2.3. Click on Edit Assignment Settings.
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2.4. Type the desired number of points in the Points field.
2.5. Tick the box if you do not want to have this assignment count toward the course total.
2.6. Click on Save.
2.7. The point value is now 5 points.
3. When you are ready to start recording student attendance, use the Calendar icon
4. Click on the student's name to mark them as Present.
Choices: One click to mark as Present, two clicks to mark as Absent, three as Late, four to reset.
5. Click on the next student and mark that student's attendance.
6. Take a look at the Attendance Assignment, you will see how marking affects the scores.
Note: The first student has attended 2 out of 2 classes. The second student has only attended 1 out of 2 days. This Assignment is set for 5 points total. If it were left at 100 points, the first student would have 100 points and the second only 50 points.
Additional Resources on using the Roll Call Attendance feature
You have now learned how to begin using the Roll Call attendance tool and how to adjust the default settings to fit your own grading scheme.
