No.160 / Oct 17, 2022
Ajou University students are finally back at school. Amidst the COVID-19 epidemic, Ajou University has tried to change the mode of attendance using a mobile application. Students can use the new system to conveniently indicate their attendance. However, there are specific problems that offset the advantages of the mobile application. The server on which the Ajou University application relies is insufficient to support students’ trial attempts. Many students tried to indicate their attendance at the very start of class but failed and had to keep trying continuously, although class had already started.
Some professors have recognized this problem and responded by taking attendance orally or revising students’ attendance status when asked to correct it because of a system error. Owing to these problems, many students are calling for modification of the attendance system. Several complaints have been posted on the Ajou Portal. Some students have experienced this problem and were recorded as absent in cases where they attended class. There are also cases where students could not indicate their attendance because of a weak Bluetooth signal, even though they arrived at the designated class location.
Fortunately, the school’s information technology management team has noticed these problems, and they posted on the Ajou Portal that they are trying to maximize the number of users the system can accommodate at once. The team also said that they will closely monitor the state of the server. It seems that many student complaints are gradually being solved. Although the school has introduced an electronic attendance system for students’ convenience, it is evident that the system was not properly prepared. System improvements are always welcomed; however, adequately developing the system before its launch will be necessary when the school rebuilds the system in the future.
By Seo Myeong-jae, AG Cub Reporter
smj001209s@ajou.ac.kr