QR Code and Fingerprint Systems for University Examinations Management

Abstract

Several universities and other higher learning institutions throughout Tanzania use paper-based attendance systems and the old file system for recording student attendance during university examinations. The paper-based attendance system has several impediments, including chances of impersonation and the possibility of doing an examination without meeting requirements. Moreover, hard copy work is tedious and prone to vandalism or data loss due to paper misplacement or destruction. Several electronic general-purpose attendance systems and fewer attendance systems are engineered for university attendance management. However, university examination regulations conflict with those systems. Henceforth, there is a gap in their applicability and adaptability. This study developed a QR code and fingerprint attendance prototype that resolves the shortcomings of existing electronic attendance systems. Fingerprints determined students’ identity during entry and exit sessions, while the QR code determined students’ examination answer booklet IDs during exit sessions. To assess the effectiveness of the attendance prototype, a sample of 120 students and 20 invigilators experimented with the prototype. The study findings show that the QR code and fingerprint systems are applicable and effective for managing university examination attendance in Tanzania. In addition, the study provides areas for future research.