This documentation refers to an old version of Accudemia 7.0 and has been replaced by Accudemia 9.0:
Accudemia 9.0 - Virtual Sign-in

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Virtual Sign-Ins

Virtual Sign-In Stations are similar to physical sign-in stations. The difference is that in regular kiosks users come to a physical machine and swipe their cards, but for virtual kiosks, users would use a URL link to access the information on their own devices. On this page, we describe how an administrator or a staff member (if given permission) can create a URL Link that can be distributed to their students/participants. This link when clicked acts as a virtual kiosk where students will sign in and enter their sessions.

Warning! When testing these links, you must have a Student role because they are not used by any other role.

Purpose: This list shows all Virtual Links created in the system and their information.
Options: Select a Virtual Link by clicking on the name to edit the options or delete it.

Please read the prerequisites in the previous section of this page. In this section, we are going to explain how to create the Center's Virtual Sign-In Links.
  1. Start by logging into your Accudemia account (https://myschool.accudemia.net replacing “myschool” with your domain).
  2. Now navigate to the Center Attendance > Virtual Sign-In from the main menu. (Here you can see all Online Kiosks created so far if any).
  3. Click the + New Virtual Sign-In Link button.
  4. Select the Center for the online session (only the centers where this feature is enabled will be shown). In this case, the Skills & Tutoring Center is selected.
    For Virtual Sign-In Stations related to Class Attendance, check the next section.
  5. Set up the Virtual Sign-In options:
    1. In Section 1, the administrator/tutor will set any initial instructions for the students to see before starting the sign-in process.
    2. In Section 2, you can preselect options such as Service, Subject Area, Instructor, or even Tutor as needed. This allows you to make very specific links for your students to join and provides fewer selections for students signing in. Only the Tutors scheduled for those preselected Services and Courses/Subject Areas will be shown.
    3. In Section 3:
      • Enter the instructions that will be shown to the students after signing in.
      • If you want to use the URL configured in the Tutor User information (also known as “Connect Link”), then enable the option “Use Tutor Connect Links when Available”. If you want to specify a different URL for the online session, put the new URL in the “Connect Link” field shown below (make sure the option “Use Tutor Connect Links when Available” is disabled).
      • Enable the option to allow students to join while in the waiting line if you prefer that students can join directly to the session (nobody has signed in those students).
      • Set an expiration time for the link (this is very important to prevent users from interfering in someone else's sessions using old links).
    4. In Section 4:
      • Enter a Name for the Virtual Kiosk. We recommend including the Center name here for easy reference.
      • Enter a Description for the Virtual Kiosk. This is optional but highly recommended if you have many Virtual Links.
  6. Your session link will be shown on the next screen, please copy and distribute this link as needed:
You can copy the link on the Accudemia Home Page at Administration > Control Panel > Announcements. By doing this, students will have the link which is easier to locate.
As soon as students use the link, they will be signed in or placed on the waiting list (depending on the configuration of the center) exactly as if they were using a physical Sign-in/Kiosk Station. If you need to configure the waiting line, please go to the Center Attendance > Manage Center section from the main menu.
If you do not like the options presented to the students, they are using the same rules as your Center's Walk-Ins. To reconfigure them to work for both the Virtual Kiosk and your Center Kiosk, look at the Attendance > Control Panel > Walk-ins settings for your Center.
Warning! When testing these links you must have a Student role.

Please read the prerequisites in the last section of this page. We are going to explain how to create the links.
  1. Start by logging into your Accudemia account (https://myschool.accudemia.net replacing “myschool” with your domain).
  2. Navigate to the Center Attendance > Virtual Sign-In from the Main Menu. You can see all Online Kiosks created here so far.
  3. Click the + New Virtual Sign-In Link button.
  4. Select the Classroom for the online Class Session (only the classrooms where this feature is enabled will be shown). In this case, the Advanced Math Classroom is selected.
    For Virtual Sign-In Stations related to Center Attendance, check the previous article.
  5. Set up the Virtual Sign-In options using this screen:
    1. In Section 1, the administrator/tutor will set the instructions for the students to see before starting the sign-in process.
    2. In Section 2, the link provided will automatically show the Class that occurs at the current time in the selected Classroom.
    3. In Section 3:
      • Enter the instructions that will be shown to the students after signing in.
      • If you want to use the URL configured in the Tutor user information, then enable the option “Use Tutor Connect Links when Available”. If you want to specify some URL/link for the virtual session (not the one in the tutor profile), put the new URL in the “Connect Link” field shown below (make sure the option “Use Tutor Connect Links when Available” is disabled). If you use both options by enabling “Use Tutor Connect Links when Available” and put a fixed URL in the “Connect Link”, then Accudemia tries to use the Tutor Connect_Link first (if there is one). If it is empty, then it tries to use the fixed link in the Connect_Link.
      • Enable the option “Allow students to join while in the waiting line” (if you prefer that students can join while in the waiting line).
        If you enable this previous setting and a student uses the “Join Session” from the waiting line, then no session log will be created since the student has not been signed in. Make sure to create session logs later or this session would not be recorded.
      • Set an expiration time for the link. This is very important to prevent users from interfering in someone else's sessions using old links.
        It is recommended to use both the fixed “Connect_Link” option and the “Tutor Connect_Link” option, so incase the Tutor Connect_Link is empty, there is a backup option (Connect_Link) to use.
    4. In Section 4:
      • Enter a name for the “Virtual Kiosk”. (We recommend including the Classroom/Center name here for reference).
      • Enter a description for the Virtual Kiosk. This is optional but highly recommended if you have many Virtual Links.
  6. Your session link will be shown on the next screen. Copy and distribute this link as needed:
You can copy the link on the Accudemia Home Page at Administration > Control Panel > Announcements. Students will have the link in their account which is easier to locate. You can also create a QR code from these links and distribute it for easier access.
Students must use these links a few minutes before the class starts. The administrator configures how long before and after the session time users have to join, typically around 5 to 10 minutes before/after. Otherwise, Accudemia will not let them enter.
Warning! When testing these links, you must have a Student role.

To share an existing link:

  1. Start by going to the Virtual Sign-In Links page. Select an existing link, then click the button Share.
    By default, the system only shows the Virtual Links created in the last 7 days. You would need to change the filters on the left to see more information.

  2. Select Share to access a page to copy the virtual link (the same one you got when creating the Virtual Kiosk).
  1. In order to edit an existing link, go to the Virtual Sign-In Links page. Select an existing link, then click the button Edit.
  2. Change the fields as needed, and click Save Changes to save all.

If you need to remove an existing link, go to the Virtual Sign-In Links page. Select an existing link from the list, then select the option Delete. The system shows a warning.

After deleting a Virtual Sign-in Link, it cannot be recovered.

Meeting Connection Configuration

There are two ways to set up virtual meetings in Accudemia. You can use the Zoom integration or a fixed meeting link (from any meeting provider). This topic may be better explained in the Administration > Control Panel > Virtual Sessions section, but this is an overview of the configurations:

1. Using Direct Integration with a Paid Zoom Account

To setup Accudemia as shown in this video, you need:

  1. Go to the Administration > Control Panel > Virtual Sessions and check “Enable third-party meeting integrations.”
  2. Go to the Administration > Control Panel > Virtual Sessions and uncheck “Enable 'Connect Link' field for users.”
  3. Staff members must visit the following page to enable the integration:
    https://meet.engineerica.com/zoom/install.html

2. Using Direct Integration with Other Platforms

To setup Accudemia as shown in the video, you need:

  1. Go to the Administration > Control Panel > Virtual Sessions and uncheck “Enable third-party meeting integrations.”
  2. Go to the Administration > Control Panel > Virtual Sessions and check “Enable 'Connect Link' field for users.”
  3. Staff members need to update their meeting link in their profiles.

Each center can configure on a weekly basis when the Center's Virtual Drop-in Links are accessible for each day of the week in the Drop-In Times. You can find this feature on the main menu: Center Attendance > Virtual Sign-In > Drop-In Times

Following this menu, you will see a list with all Drop-In times rules. You can filter by location on the left panel, you can delete any rule(s) by enabling the corresponding checkbox(es) to the left of the rule and using the button “Delete” that will appear.

Adding a Drop-In Times rule

Follow the menu: Center Attendance>Virtual Sign-In > Drop-In Times . Here you can see the List of Drop-In Times rules, to add a new one and click the option + New Drop-In Time.

  1. Select the Center from the list.
  2. Check the days of weeks that will be part of the rule.
  3. Select From what time the virtual Links will be enabled for this particular rule.
  4. Select To what time the virtual Links will be enabled for this particular rule.
  5. Save Changes.

You can find this feature at Center Attendance > Virtual Sign-In > Drop-In Exceptions.

Following this menu, you will see a list with all Drop-In times exception rules set so far. You can filter by location on the left panel. You can also delete any rule by selecting the item.

Adding a Drop-In Times Exception Rule

  1. Start on the main menu under Center Attendance > Virtual Sign-In > Drop-In Exceptions.
  2. You can see the List of Drop-In Times exception rules. To add a new rule, click + New Drop-In Exception.
  3. Select the Center from the list.
  4. Select From the date and time the Center will be open/closed for Virtual Link sessions in this particular rule.
  5. Select To the date and time the Center will be open/closed for Virtual Link sessions in this particular rule.
  6. Select whether this rule makes the Center Open or Closed for Virtual Link sessions.
  7. Save Changes.
Exception rules take precedence over weekly rules but only for the dates specified.

You can configure a virtual workshop using a Virtual Kiosk. In this case, you would need to create a Service at your Center and name it. When configuring the virtual link, you would need to set it as the default value for the Service you just created. Once the Virtual Kiosk is configured, make sure to let students know that it's for a certain workshop/seminar. The rest of the process is the same as a normal walk-in. Students would use the link and Accudemia would track their attendance. You can use the Service to make a report for this workshop.

Additional information