Your smartphone has a number of ways of getting cues about its surroundings and making direct, peer-to-peer connections. If one were to use just one of the available mechanisms, the process would be imperfect and the chances of failure quite high.

In light of the challenges presented by smartphone operating systems, what Acadly does is quite remarkable. It allows the attendance signal to spread throughout the classroom via mesh-networking, and here’s what this means:

Not inside the class? No attendance

Simple as that. Only local signals inside the classroom help one get marked present, and there’s no way to outsmart that. If someone’s logging in from home, bad luck.

What’s the benefit?

It depends.

If you have to record attendance, you either spend 5 minutes of class time doing roll calls or use paper. One takes too much time and the other makes the attendance data available to you in a form that is scarcely usable, which brings us to the next point…

you either spend 5 minutes of class time doing roll calls or use paper. One takes too much time and the other makes the attendance data available to you in a form that is scarcely usable, which brings us to the next point… If you don’t have to record attendance, it is still extremely useful to have it available on the same platform as the one where you host assignments, quizzes, polls, discussions and other course activities. This helps the platform do the dirty work for you. E.g., give you insights about student behavior, participation and interest in the course.

It works anywhere

Your classroom could be 100 feet underground. As long as there’s an internet connection, mesh networks will do their magic.

What’s the range?

These are mesh networks, so the range isn’t an issue. Your signal doesn’t need to reach everyone. Acadly has been used in classrooms with as many as 350 students, and it works equally well for jumbo classes too.

What do you need to make it work?

Both the professor and students need the Acadly app (available on Android and iOS) on their phones. Acadly is available on the web as well, but the instant roll call feature works only on the apps.

What if someone doesn’t have an Android or iOS smartphone?

Students who don’t have a smartphone can walk up to the professor once the lecture ends and get themselves marked present manually. All you need to do to mark someone present is to tap on their name.

Will this drain my battery?

The Acadly app automatically switches the radios on your phone off once the attendance process is over to minimize energy consumption.

What if someone is standing right outside the door?

You can take attendance any time you want during the lecture. So if someone is willing to stand right outside the door the entire time… well yes. They can then fool the system.

Is it foolproof?

If someone sends their phone with to class with a friend, they can still get attendance. Apart from that, there’s no way to cheat the system.

How does it compare with the alternatives?

Here’s a holistic rubric based comparison: