University of Malawi (Unima) Bachelor of Science in Electronics final year student Danford Mponda has created an advanced Biometric Electronic and Examination Attendance Register.
The 22-year-old says the system provides a secure and reliable means to track attendance, generate a detailed report and provide valuable insights into work patterns and attendance trends.
Mponda told projectM that the system is geared to replace manual attendance registers, which he said is time-consuming.
He added: “During examination period, our supervisors go around in the rooms with the manual attendance register to have all students write their signatures to confirm their attendance. This method has a plethora of challenges as it is cumbersome because you need to carry it around the examination room.
“On top of this, it disturbs students during examinations because instead of concentrating on writing their examinations, they are busy making sure that they have registered their names before sitting for the examinations. That’s why this system has been developed to solve these challenges and streamline operations at the campus.”
With this new technology, when students are enrolling at the university, their particulars will be recorded together with their fingerprints. Before entering the examination room, all candidates will have their fingerprints scanned and linked with the information in the database.
Currently, it is on record that when candidates enter the examination rooms, their Id’s do not match with their faces and this may end up allowing someone who is not the right candidate to write the examinations.
He added that the system, which will be installed digitally, is effective and faster saying once the candidates place their fingerprints on the scanner, the system will be able to detect if indeed the information in the database is for that particular candidate.
He said: “In the Malawi 2063, the Malawi development blueprint agenda, particularly that section which talks about Innovation Technology, there is a lot that needs to be done. We have a lot of learners in the universities, colleges, secondary and primary schools who are passionate for innovation and creativity. It is time for these learners to forge ahead with their passion for innovation in order to achieve their goals.’’
Danford Mponda can be reached on: +265 994 672 801
