Experiences from NFC Supported School Attendance Supervision for Children

Our paper presents a field study arranged at a Finnish primary school where two classes and a total of 23 pupils between the ages of 6 and 8 trialed an attendance supervision system supported by Near Field Communication technology in 2008. In the trial the pupils marked their arrival at and departure from the school by touching a reader device or NFC-enabled mobile phone with a smart contactless card. The system simplified attendance monitoring by replacing manual roll calls leaving thus more time for teaching. Parents were able to receive real-time information on children’s attendance, which reduced their concerns about whether their child had arrived at school safely. Information about user experience was obtained by using a variety of data collection methods. Children, as well as their teachers, became fast familiar with the touch-based interaction, and the attendance supervision was soon integrated into their everyday school routines. Our analysis shows that a technology-supported attendance supervision system can bring value for all end-user groups but it seems that the system will serve primarily the teachers and the parents.