Alice Lilley investigates the new Check-in system after a year of use at the University of York.
The University of York is set to continue its Check-In system which was implemented in September 2023 and flagged 31% of students for academic struggles.
The system, which was first introduced in 2023, requires that all students input a code provided by teachers to check-in to all teaching sessions. This includes all in-person contact hours including lectures, seminars and workshops.
The system identified over 18,080 instances of academic engagement struggles over the year, with 31% of students struggling by the end of the year.
This university-wide tool has been implemented in all departments as an additional measure of support to monitor and aid student wellbeing.
The system was aimed at enabling early identification of students who show continuous low levels of engagement to create a proactive support system so that students who need help can be promptly contacted by the University.
Students are advised to not share codes with students outside the event as this may limit the system’s ability to help students who are struggling.
The University clarified that Check-In data is not the only information used to determine whether the University contacts a student about their attendance.
York Student Union Community & Wellbeing Officer Freddy Russell and Academic Officer Fennella Johnson have said: “The Check-In system was designed to help monitor student mental health through engagement, which is a really positive step for student wellbeing at York.
“However, because it is a new system there have been some issues due mainly to the lack of standardisation in the messages that are sent to students.
We are currently working with the University to resolve this issue to make sure that students are getting positive support as a result of the system.”
The university has made clear that the Check-In system will not be used to monitor student attendance with the aim of punishing those who are found to be missing teaching sessions.
Despite this, Freddy said: “I am aware… that the student reaction to check-in has often been one of fear.”
When the check-in system was first implemented Freddy said: “There was a lot of negative feedback from students who considered it a form of surveillance.”
Since then, there has been a lack of feedback regarding how the Check-In system is being received by students and staff.
A University spokesperson said: “In May we surveyed staff and students to capture their feedback on Check-In. The results, and action we have taken in response to this feedback, will be published on Monday 23rd September.”
The University is working hard to ensure that students know the purpose of the Check-In system is student mental health and wellbeing.
A University spokesperson said: “We understand that lots of things can have an impact on our students’ personal lives and studies, and Check-In is a support tool that helps us to quickly identify if it looks like someone may be struggling or experiencing difficulties.
“The system is a ‘safety net’ that allows us to reach out with guidance and support.”
Check-in now forms a core part of the University’s Student Academic Engagement and Wellbeing Policy which was approved by the University Teaching Committee in July 2023.
The University website states that phase one of Check-In focuses on in-person timetabled teaching events only.
According to the University, future phases will consider additional engagement measures including online teaching sessions, standalone sessions and induction events, as well as the possibility of integrating information such as failed assessments and non-submissions into the student engagement system.
Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, York Vision found that in the first week of use, Check-In was used for 435 out of a potential 558 timetabled events, a 78% usage rate and 19,000 codes were entered by students during week one.
The University has recorded that out of the 20,480 students at the university for the 2023/24 academic year there were 19,440 student users of the Check-In system over the year.
This demonstrates a high usage of 95%.
In the 2023/34 academic year the University used the Check-In system to help identify 18,080 instances where students appeared to be struggling with academic engagement.
The system breaks the year down into four blocks, two in each semester.
The data provided by the University shows that 2,515 students were identified in Block 1, 5,030 in Block 2, 4,100 in Block 3, and 6,435 in Block 4.
One student may appear in multiple blocks throughout the year if they consistently struggle to attend teaching sessions.
Academic engagement was at its highest in Block 1 at the start of academic year with only 12% of students struggling with academic engagement.
However, this number more than doubled by Block 2, rising to 5,030.
Block 3 saw a slight drop to 4,100 students suggesting that at the start of the second semester some students became academically engaged again.
The trend shows a spike in flagged students in Block 4, the final block of the academic year, with a peak of 6,435 which could indicate increasing academic struggles as the academic year progresses.
With a total student population of 20,480 in the 2023/24 academic year, this demonstrates that approximately 31% of students were struggling with academic engagement in Block 4 towards the end of the academic year.
The findings suggest that a significant proportion of students encountered academic engagement issues at some point, with students increasingly struggling to maintain engagement as the academic year progresses.
This pattern raises questions about whether students are receiving adequate support early on and if the Check-In system itself may need adjustments to improve its effectiveness in signposting students in need of academic and wellbeing support.
The growing number of students who struggled with academic engagement from Block 1 to Block 4 therefore highlights potential limitations in the check-in systems effectiveness.
The findings also raise questions regarding how this Check-In system will work alongside pre-existing support systems at the University.