Desire2Learn 9.0

Working with Attendance Schemes

Attendance schemes designate the criteria for marking student attendance or participation in registers. Each attendance register is assigned an attendance scheme that defines the students' statuses for each session (e.g., present, absent, late, participated). The instructor can use a default scheme, modify a default scheme, or create a custom scheme for their register.

This document covers the following tasks:

Creating Attendance Schemes
Editing Schemes
Setting Default Attendance Schemes
Deleting Attendance Schemes

Creating Attendance Schemes

Attendance schemes should be created prior to constructing the attendance register. The scheme sets the parameters for the register and can be reused for different classes over multiple semesters. The following section contains information on viewing attendance schemes, copying existing or default schemes, and creating new schemes.

Viewing Attendance Schemes

Both default schemes and previously created schemes are stored in the Attendance tool. Use the following information to view these preexisting or newly created schemes when locating a scheme to use for a register.

From the Course Home page, on the Navigation bar, click ATTENDANCE
The Attendance Registers page appears.
In the Attendance Areas widget, click ATTENDANCE SCHEMES
The Attendance Schemes page appears.
In the Actions column, next to the desired scheme, click VIEW SCHEME
The View Attendance Scheme dialog box appears.
When finished, click CLOSE

Copying Existing or Default Schemes

Instructors can modify any scheme already present in the Attendance Schemes page to fit their current needs. Instructors can choose which symbols will be used to signify the student's attendance status (e.g., A for absent), assign a grade value to each status that can be later used to calculate percent attendance, and arrange the statuses in a convenient order for use on the register. After locating and viewing the desired scheme, use the following instructions to modify the scheme to best fit the purpose of a register.

From the Attendance Schemes page, in the Actions column, next to the desired attendance scheme, click COPY ATTENDANCE SCHEME
In the Course Schemes section, Copy of <desired scheme> appears.
Click COPY OF <DESIRED SCHEME>
The Edit Scheme page appears.
In the Name text box, type the desired name for this scheme
To set the symbols that will represent the student's status, in the first Symbol text box, type a symbol
EXAMPLE: Type P
To add a name or description of the status, in the first Status Full Name text box, type the name or description
EXAMPLE: Type Present
To assign a grade value to the status, in the first Assigned % text box, type the percentage for the status
EXAMPLE: Type 100
NOTE: If the Assigned % text box is left blank, the attendance status cannot be figured into a final percent attendance.
To complete the remaining statuses, repeat steps 4-6
To add additional statuses to the scheme,
1. Click SAVE
2. In the Add Statuses field, type the number of status fields needed
3. Click ADD STATUSES
4. Repeat steps 4-7
Click SAVE
The modified Attendance Scheme is saved.

Creating New Schemes

If a default or previously created scheme does not match the needs of your current register you can create an entirely new scheme.

From the Attendance Schemes page, click NEW SCHEME
The New Scheme page appears.
In the Name text box, type the desired name for this scheme
To set the symbols that will represent the student's status, in the first Symbol text box, type a symbol
EXAMPLE: Type P
To add a name or description of the status, in the first Status Full Name text box, type the name or description
EXAMPLE: Type Present
To assign a grade value to the status, in the first Assigned % text box, type the percentage for the status EXAMPLE: Type 100
NOTE: If the Assigned % text box is left blank, the attendance status cannot be figured into a final percent attendance.
To complete the remaining statuses, repeat steps 2-5
To add additional statuses to the scheme,
1. Click SAVE
2. In the Add Statuses field, type the number of status fields needed
3. Click ADD STATUSES
4. Repeat steps 2-6
Click SAVE
The modified Attendance Scheme is saved.

Editing Schemes

Instructors may wish to edit attendance schemes they have created in the past for new registers. When changing a scheme, note that old registers using the scheme will also be changed. To edit a preexisting scheme without changing previously created registers, see Using Attendance Registers.

From the Attendance Schemes page, click the scheme you wish to edit
The Edit Scheme page displays.
NOTE: You cannot edit default schemes.
To change the attendance scheme name, in the Name text box, type the new name
To change the symbols that will represent the student's status, in the first Symbol text box, type the new symbol
EXAMPLE: Type A
To change a name or description of the status, in the first Status Full Name text box, type the new name or description
EXAMPLE: Type Absent
To change the assigned grade value to the status, in the first Assigned % text box, type the new percentage for the status
EXAMPLE: Type 0
Click SAVE
The edited Attendance Scheme is saved.

Setting Default Attendance Schemes

If a scheme is commonly used to create attendance registers, you may wish to set it as your default scheme. The default scheme will pre-fill on any new registers you create. If a default is not set, the first alphabetically listed scheme will pre-fill.

From the Attendance Schemes page, next to the desired scheme, click SET
The Confirmation dialog box appears.
Click SET
The default attendance scheme is set.

Deleting Attendance Schemes

Deleting old or excess attendance schemes helps ensure the Attendance Tool remains organized. Before deleting a scheme, be sure it is not currently used in a register or the register will no longer function as intended.

From the Attendance Schemes page, next to the desired scheme, click DELETE
The Confirmation dialog box appears.
NOTE: If an existing register uses the scheme, the delete button will not appear. You must first change the scheme used in the register before deleting the scheme.
Click DELETE
The attendance scheme is deleted.