How to make a digital attendance sheet with QR-Code Check-In (with Virtualbadge.io)

QR code has been hailed for its versatility of late. All you need is a digital device to scan a QR code to complete payments, download apps, and access menus – the list is endless.

And one QR code use case that’s been gaining popularity is digital attendance tracking.

No more physically jotting down participants or using a manual tool like Google Sheets to track attendance. Using a simple QR code check-in, you can now make a digital attendance sheet for your online training and webinars.

How?

Read this article to uncover the painless way to automate the creation of a digital attendance sheet using Virtualbadge.io’s QR code solution.

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How can a QR code check-in link be used for tracking attendance?

Picture this. You’ve just wrapped up a webinar with over a hundred participants. You want to record their attendance so you can send digital participation certificates. 

While the immediate response would be to manually jot down attendee names on paper or enter them into an online sheet one by one, this process can be physically taxing and time-consuming, to say the least.

So now, imagine if your participants could whip out their phones to scan a QR code appearing at the end of the session to log in their attendance. This way, you don’t have to bother entering any data. 

Once scanned, participant details would be automatically stored and ready for approval.

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Benefits of using a QR-code check-in process to make a digital attendance sheet

Here’s a glimpse of the top benefits you can see if you transition to a QR-code check-in process for digital attendance:

• Instant data entry

Real-time updates to digital attendance sheets happen instantly and accurately without needing your interference. You can forget to merge Google Sheets or enter data manually.

• Inexpensive 

You can use just one QR code for all participants at the end of the online session or webinar. This cuts paper, hardware, and printing costs that would otherwise be required to track attendance manually. 

• Highly accurate 

QR codes for digital attendance leave no room for human errors. For example, manual data entry could be exposed to typos, misspelled names, incorrect timestamps, and more. Such avoidable mistakes can cause a negative impression on your brand and webinar. 

• Universal accessibility 

Regardless of the digital device your participants are on, scanning a QR code to mark their attendance is a touch-free, all-devices-friendly process.

• Cuts down review time 

Forget reviewing participants’ attendance again and again until certificate dispatch. With a solution like Virtualbadge.io, trainers and admins can approve attendance once participants scan the displayed QR code and initiate digital certificate dispatch with a click. 

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Sample QR code for marking digital attendance

Virtualbadge.io does the heavy lifting for you after a webinar or online session by providing a unique QR code for attendance tracking. You can display this at the end of the session and request participants to scan it to receive their certificates. 

Wondering how that works?

Here’s a sample Virtualbadge.io QR code you can scan using your smartphone:

Once you scan, you will be redirected to Virtualbadge.io’s sign-up page and be asked to submit a mandatory survey before receiving the certificate. This survey, in real-time, lets you gather participant feedback to improve your future sessions. 

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6 steps to make a digital attendance sheet with QR-code check-ins using Virtualbadge.io

Below are the steps to make your own digital attendance sheet using a QR code check-in through Virtualbadge.io’s trainer module:

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Step 1: Admin login to Virtualbadge.io

Course admins can log in to Virtualbadge.io here. You can sign up here to start the 7-day all-access free trial if you're a new user. 

Step 2: Grant access to trainers 

If you’re an admin, you must now start inviting trainers so they can approve attendance and issue certificates post-course completion. 

Head to the Users and Roles tab under Account > Settings. 

Click Invite User to send invitation requests to trainers. 

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Step 3: Access dashboard 

Trainers and admins get access to their own dashboards by logging in to Virtualbadge.io. On the dashboard, you can spot the “Trainings” section next to Certificates. 

Click on it to launch a new training and link it to a unique QR code. 

You can also launch digital certificate creation by clicking on Certificates > Create new certificate. Here, you can choose from the platform’s readymade templates or create a digital certificate from scratch using the easy drag-and-drop editor. 

Step 4: Create a new training or manage training 

Once you’re on the Training page, click Create Training to launch a new training and link it to a QR code in the next step. Name your training and enter the correct start and end dates.

If you’ve already created trainings in the past, you can manage them under your Training Dashboard and get a complete bird’s eye view of the previous, pending, and upcoming training.

Trainers can access their own version of the dashboard to send certificates, edit training data, and set certificate delivery types. 

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Step 5: Participants scan the QR code after training completion 

Virtualbadge.io auto-assigns a unique QR code that you can display post-completion of your online training or webinar. 

At the end of the session, you can just display this QR code and ask attendees to scan it on their smartphones to log attendance. So now, you no longer have to manually enter each participant’s details into your digital attendance sheet. 

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The QR code leads to a form containing participant attendance. Click Link to form to access the form’s link where the QR code attendance data is entered and saved. Alternatively, you can share this form link with participants who cannot scan the QR code. 

Once participants scan the QR code, Virtualbadge.io displays a login screen to collect participant data and a survey form to collect feedback. You can edit the multiple-choice fields and set the survey as mandatory under the Trainer Module screen. 

Step 6: Approve attendance and initiate certificate dispatch 

Once attendees check in using the QR code and sign in with their details, their login info is saved onto the dashboard and a digital form (optional). 

Virtualbadge.io ensures there’s a dual-layered approval process for additional security. You can approve or deny requests so the right attendees receive their digital certificates. 

Head to the Recipients tab to reject or approve certificate requests: 

And you’re done! Certificate dispatch happens on auto-pilot once you’ve approved recipient requests. 

Smart use cases of integrating a QR code check-in solution for attendance

Let’s discuss four amazing use cases to integrate a QR code check-in solution to track attendance efficiently:

1. Webinars

Most webinars have hundreds of participants. This large number makes manual attendance tracking an impossible task. So you could use a QR code check-in process at the end of the webinar to let attendees seamlessly mark their attendance and access certificates. 

2. Web conferences and meetings 

Want to streamline online meetings and web conference check-ins? QR code is your best bet. It also helps you collect real-time data, like attendees’ personal details, while integrating it with a survey form to gather feedback. 

3. Certificate management 

An end-to-end, fully automated digital certificate platform like Virtualbadge.io cuts down your manual attendance tracking efforts and lets you control certificate dispatch through a central database and a one-of-a-kind QR code solution.

4. Online training and workshops  

Hosting online training or workshops? Use QR codes to engage attendees and guide them through a seamless check-in and certificate dispatch process. 

Such an automated solution to attendance tracking secures valuable data and improves your future virtual training and workshops. 

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Wrapping up

Automating attendance tracking with QR codes can save you time, let you stay organized, and help you focus on improving your future online sessions. 

A well-connected solution like Virtualbadge.io takes care of every aspect of certificate management, right from creating digital certificates to dispatching them to deserving recipients. 

Don’t believe us! Start your 7-day all-access free trial to test the tool yourself!

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Frequently asked questions 

1. Can QR codes be used for attendance?

Absolutely. QR codes can be used to track attendance and save attendee details. For example, you can pair up an online training’s QR code with an external form to gather attendee data, such as their email, role, name, etc.

2. How do I create a QR code for check-in?

You can create a QR code for check-in using Virtualbadge.io’s contactless solution. Just create an online training on your Virtualbadge dashboard to access a unique, scannable QR code for your training. 

3. When can you use QR code check-ins?

The best use case to implement QR code check-ins is tracking attendance digitally. It’s an error-free way to collect participants’ data and log their attendance before certificate dispatch.