Kennesaw State’s Department of Athletics recently mounted Bluetooth devices in the Convocation Center’s classrooms to track the attendance of student-athletes.
“Studies show that class attendance is a leading indicator of student success,” KSU Director of Athletics Milton Overton said. “This year, along with over 50 other institutions, we are piloting software to provide a more efficient way for our academic staff to monitor class attendance.”
The attendance tracking software is run by SpotterEDU and uses iBeacon technology to record attendance. The device sends off a low Bluetooth signal, which connects to the student’s cell phone via an app they must download, according to The Daily Tar Heel.
Once the student walks into class, they are automatically checked in.
“With an overall grade point average of 3.05 last year, we believe this will increase our outstanding academic performance, and help our student-athletes stay on course, so they can reach their highest academic potential,” Overton said.
SpotterEDU is catered specifically for student-athletes, Overton said. He said there are currently no plans to extend the tracker campus-wide.
“Kennesaw State’s Department of Athletics is committed to ensuring that our student-athletes are as successful in the classroom as they are on the field,” Overton said.
According to The Daily Tar Heel, SpotterEDU has been used by the University of North Carolina, Duke University, Syracuse University and Columbia University as a means of tracking student-athlete attendance.
The Department of Athletics denied the Sentinel’s request to enter one of the classrooms where an attendance-tracking device is mounted.
Although there is speculation that the app tracks student’s whereabouts, SpotterEDU does not use GPS, and only picks up when the student is in their designated classroom, according to The Daily Tar Heel.