Should faculty require attendance? Is it really up to the student to make that decision?  There is no simple answer.In today’s feature article,  The Chronicle of Higher Ed. addresses this question.

http://chronicle.com/section/Community-Colleges/33/

In some courses, attendance can be worth as much as 40% of the final grade.  In others, attendance is not required.  It’s up to the student to show up or not.

Research in this area has found that showing up for class was a stronger predictor of high marks in college than were many other commonly used predictors, including study habits, study skills, high-school grade-point averages, and scores on the SAT and other standardized tests.

It makes sense that the more a student is exposed to class material, the better the chance for learning.  That is, if the student is awake and alert.  This is not always the case.

Also, many lectures are posted on-line and faculty are open to having students access them in this way.

Still, students, especially during their first year, often need the structure of required attendance.  It helps teach them how to manage their time, be responsible, and, above all else, see the value of face-to-face learning.

Then there’s the financial piece.  When students realize how much they are spending per class, not showing up is like throwing money out the window.

In a perfect world, students would make choices that best support their successful learning.  That’s certainly the goal of education.  Attending class may be the best option.