Most campuses now use student ID cards that contain a magnetic strip with student information that is used for a variety of purposes. Perhaps you have wanted to jump on the bandwagon and use student IDs for tracking attendance, checking students into buildings, inventory management, or any number of things. There are plenty of high-end options for implementing a magnetic swipe-card system. The problem is that these are often expensive and proprietary. If you are unsure of your need for a system or simply can’t afford one – don’t fret – because you can build one on the cheap. Even better is that with only a little work, your creation can be adapted to serve many different needs. While you will not need to be a tech genius, this technique will involve some technical skill.
What you will need:
- Magnetic Card Reader – $50 – These units can be purchased from a number of different vendors and simply plug into a computer’s USB port. Make sure to get one that identifies as a Human Interface Device (HID). What this means is when you swipe a card, it will send the information just as if it was typed on a keyboard.
- A Computer – You can use almost any recent computer. If you need a portable system, consider buying a netbook for about $300.
- A Database Program – The most common one would be Microsoft Access, which can be found on most computers with the Office suite. Another option is OpenOffice, which is both free and will run on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Student Data – Depending on how your ID cards work and what your needs are you will need specific information. Most student information systems (Banner, PeopleSoft, CICS) can export student records into text files.
To create an attendance system, for example, you would do the following: In your database you will have the student information in a table as well as tables for your events and attendance records. When a student swipes his/her card (or manually enters an ID number), you grab the ID number and add it to the attendance table. The student ID number is matched to the imported information to give you name, address, email, etc.
What this will give you is a database that can list all students who attended an event or all events that a student attended. Imagine the possibilities for assessment! How many students are your programs impacting? Are at-risk students attending programs? Are there groups of students that attend certain events?
The actual process for making this database work has been simplified quite a bit. I would be happy to share an example from which you can build. Regardless, it is doable without a degree in Computer Science and without blowing your entire technology budget. Good luck and happy swiping.
