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Using Tap Credentials to Take Attendance

If you have access to an NFC (Near-Field Communication) device, students can tap their physical or digital FlyerCards to record their attendance in the UD Attendance tool.

How to load tap credentials

  1. Plug in the NFC reader into an open USB port on your laptop or the classroom podium. Only one NFC reader may be used per computer.

    Image of NFC reader
    An NFC reader
    Image of NFC reader being plugged into a USB port on a computer
    Connecting an NFC reader to a USB port

  2. Launch UD Attendance in your Canvas course.

    UD Attendance landing page

  3. Click on a previously created attendance item, or click on the Take Attendance Now button.

    Take Attendance Now button

  4. On the next page, click on the Tap Credentials button.

    Tap Credentials button

  5. An Attendance Check-In popup window will appear. Be sure to place your cursor inside the empty text field so that the tap credentials will be recorded properly. The text field will be highlighted in blue when it is active and ready to accept input.

    Tap Credentials modal

  6. Students may now tap their physical or digital FlyerCard near the NFC reader. The FlyerCard has been read if you see a blue light on the reader and hear an audible beep.

    Tapping a physical FlyerCard
    Tapping a physical FlyerCard
    Tapping a digital FlyerCard
    Tapping a digital FlyerCard
    • If students are using their digital FlyerCard, be aware that the location of the NFC chip varies on phones. If the NFC reader doesn’t scan the digital FlyerCard, flip the phone over and try again. The phone does not need to be unlocked (unless you have enabled Require Device Unlock), but the screen will need to be on.
    • If the tap was successfully logged, a green banner will appear below the text field saying the tap has been recorded and the student has been marked present.

    Tap Credentials success message
    • If a red banner appears mentioning that an error occurred, the student will need to tap their physical or digital FlyerCard again. If the NFC reader is not working, attendance may be recorded manually.

    Tap Credentials error message

  7. After attendance-taking is complete, click on the Close button at the bottom right corner of the popup window. Once the Attendance Check-In window is closed, students who tapped in will be marked as Present. You can then mark any other students as Absent, Excused, Late, or Left Early.

    Attendance roster with student marked present

How to time-limit tap credentials

If you would like to set a time at which the UD Attendance tool will stop accepting taps, you can do so by following the steps below.

  1. Launch UD Attendance in your Canvas course.
  2. Open the settings tray by clicking on the gear icon at the top right of the page.
  3. Click on the Tap Credentials tab.
  4. Check the checkbox beside Restrict tapping after a certain time.
  5. In the text field that appears, enter the number of minutes you would like tapping to be available after your class sessions have started. The text field defaults to 15 minutes, but you can change this to any number between 1 and 30.
    • For example, if your class starts at 10:30 AM, and you would like tapping to close at 10:40 AM, you would enter 10 in the text field. Please note this number will apply to all future class sessions, but you may change this at any time.
  6. Click on the Save Tap Credentials Settings button.
  7. Create your attendance item(s). Make sure to add a start time to each attendance item. The tap restrictions setting will not work properly unless the correct start time has been entered.
  8. Now, if a student tries to tap in after the time limit you have set, a red banner will appear in the Attendance Check-In popup window saying The time has passed to accept tapped credentials. You can manually modify the student's status by closing out the dialogue window and selecting a status for the student.

FAQs

How do I get an NFC reader?

If you're interested in obtaining an NFC reader to use in your classroom, please email campusopsit@udayton.edu.

Can I use multiple NFC readers at the same time?

It is possible to use multiple NFC readers at the same time; however, you'll need a separate computer for each additional NFC reader.

To use more than one NFC reader for a single class period:

  1. Use one laptop/podium PC and NFC reader to create an attendance item and launch the Tap Credentials feature.
  2. On the other laptops/podium PCs (with the other NFC readers plugged into them), navigate to the UD Attendance tool and click on the date of the attendance item you just created. Launch the Tap Credentials feature.

What should I do if a student's physical or digital FlyerCard can't be read? What if a student forgets their card or phone?

If a student's physical or digital FlyerCard can't be read, or if they've forgotten their card or phone, you should record their attendance status manually.

Where can I learn more about the digital FlyerCard?

Visit the FlyerCard website to learn more about the digital FlyerCard. Links to device-specific instructions are included below:

Where can I get more assistance with using UD Attendance?

For additional assistance with using the UD Attendance tool in Canvas, please email onlinelearning@udayton.edu.

Return to the main UD Attendance page