Google Classroom is a wonderful tool for creating and running a digital classroom. There are many great features built into Google Classroom including assigning work easily, posting announcements, and grading and returning student work. However, one feature that is not natively built into Google Classroom is the ability to take daily attendance.

In this blog we’ll look at a simple but effective method for taking daily attendance in Google Classroom. This is a very easy process to set up and implement and is a more practical and effective method than counting faces or looking at a chat box on a Zoom or Google meeting.

One of the features available to teachers using Google Classroom is the ability to ask a question. The question can be formed as a short answer or multiple choice question and can be graded or ungraded.

Here are the steps you can use to take daily attendance in Google Classroom using the question feature:

• Open your class in Google Classroom
• Navigate to the Classwork tab and click on “Create”
• Choose “Topic,” and then name your topic Daily Attendance

• Next, click on “Create” and choose “Question”

• Choose Multiple Choice in the drop-down, and for the question text, add “Daily Attendance [today’s date].” For the description enter some instructions like “Check the box below if you are present”
• Next, add your attendance text (e.g., “I am here,” “I am present”) and choose a due date that is same as the date in the question. NOTE: Make sure to use a due date here as it not only helps with grading and easy downloading of the attendance data, but it will also prevent students from going back and changing attendance from previous days.
• Uncheck the option that reads “Students can see class summary,” decide whether you will grade this response in the Points menu, and make sure to assign the topic as “Daily Attendance,” which we created earlier.

• Next, in top right corner, choose “Schedule” and set the schedule for the required date. (You can click “Create” and “Reuse Post” going forward so you don’t have to start from scratch each time.)

• If you do grade the question and return it to the students, you can download the daily attendance or keep a running record of it in Google Sheets by clicking the gear on the top corner of the Question page.

For more information and tips on how to use questions and other features of Google Classroom, be sure to check out our OTIS for educators PD course Introduction to Google Classroom.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more articles on the Teq Talk blog.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and remote learning support for educators with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology, tools, and strategies that can spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening.

Teq is an experienced Google for Education Partner. If your school is purchasing G Suite Enterprise for Education or Chromebooks, you may be eligible to receive free PD from Teq as part of the Google Service Offer program.