‘Crisis’: Otago Uni students staying home instead of going to class

The University of Otago is facing a “crisis” of students not bothering to leave their flats to go to classes and is investigating using technology to track attendance. An Otago University academic senate memorandum, leaked to the Otago Daily Times, said low attendance was a matter of ongoing concern in many areas of the university. An academic called the lecture attendance situation, which they said was as low as 30% for some courses, a “crisis”. They said much of this could have been avoided if the university had not pushed ahead with the compulsory recording policy as it was implemented. In the senate memorandum, deputy vice-chancellor academic James Maclaurin suggested monitoring lecture attendance numbers more accurately. “The recent availability of new software that simplifies attendance recording — even in large classes — provides an opportune moment to reflect on evidence, options and implications.” [Missing Credit]Otago University deputy vice-chancellor James Maclaurin is grappling with low lecture attendance rates. PHOTO: ODT FILES The university was also conducting a proof-of-concept deployment of attendance-tracking tool Qwickly. It said there were “multiple studies” that linked higher attendance with better marks, progression and engagement”. It also noted part of the drop-off was associated with changes surrounding Covid-19 that still linger. More specific requirements for attending lectures might also be necessary — the university could propose that 60% attendance of lectures should be compulsory, Prof Maclaurin said in his memorandum. "The requirement students attend more than 60% of their classes will get them out of their flats and meeting classmates. “Students make great friends for life in our colleges, but their intellectual and social development requires they meet, collaborate and learn to debate a more diverse group of students. “While insisting that students be in class will not guarantee this development, those who spend much of their education on their device in their flats will have fewer opportunities to develop crucial skills.” The university will conduct a review of the lecture recordings policy at the start of next year, analysing the pros and cons of this policy development. Students the ODT spoke to on Monday revealed mixed feelings about the status quo. Second-year surveying student Tim Mathers reckoned average attendance would be below 50%. Asked whether compulsory lecture recordings helped or hindered attendance, Mr Mathers was equivocal. “If you miss one lecture, [the recordings are] essential. “But maybe some people rely on it. They don’t show up because they now have this ability to just say, they can’t be bothered to do that. “Overall, it’s probably still helpful to have the recording so, sometimes you can’t avoid missing a lecture.” Some lecturers found ways to get around the compulsory recordings, Mr Mathers said. “One thing which lecturers, especially this semester, are doing is using a lot of whiteboards, which often aren’t recorded, so to get that aspect of the class, it’s best to show up. “There are certain classes where there’s handouts during the class. Always try to show up for that. “There's also quite a few classes where you’re actually interacting with the lecturer that you should probably be going to.” The university was determined to “decrease” the administrative burden towards recognising cultural health and pastoral care for students, the senate memorandum said. An Otago University spokeswoman said it did not agree the situation was a “crisis”. “We are, however, always looking for ways to improve student engagement, and one of these is thinking carefully about how we approach matters such as attendance at lectures. “We are currently undertaking a targeted proof-of-concept (POC) trial using an attendance software tool with a small group of interested academic staff.” The software tool was designed to sync with the Aoroa learning management system and is designed to reduce the administrative burden of attendance recording on staff and students, she said.

‘Crisis’: Otago Uni students staying home instead of going to class

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