This article provides guidance for academics so that they can get started with the brand-new system "MyEngagement". By following the instructions below, you will be able to create or cancel lectures, manage students’ attendance, and add / remove students from a session.

The MyEngagement site is available for academic and certain administrative staff only from the website https://southampton.seats.cloud/

Students can find useful information and links in the section "Information for students".

Please note that the MyEngagement / SEAtS application includes confidential student information. Please avoid displaying this information in a public environment (for example: lecture theatre) by disabling screen sharing/mirroring until you have the QR code ready to display.

Overview of MyEngagement

MyEngagement is an attendance monitoring app that provides students and staff information about student engagement with their programme.

My Engagement will be implemented from September 2023 and will monitor all timetabled teaching events (including online and on-campus events).

How it works

Once a student has arrived at their session, they can register their attendance on the app by submitting a numerical code or scanning a QR code. Teaching staff can also update attendance when students may have had issues doing so themselves.

 

Know more about MyEngagement

The MyEngagement team have published full guidance about MyEngagement system, including a series of FAQs, in the SharePoint site "MyEngagement".  

 

Notes for Postgraduate Research Students (PGRs)

PGR students can act as either students or staff. As such, whether a PGR student uses the MyEngagement system depends on what role they are currently undertaking:

• When acting as students – There is no need for PGR students to use the MyEngagement system, and instead they should engage with PGR manager as usual.
• When acting as staff (for example when demonstrating or assisting with a lab) – PGR students should be able to log into the SEAtS website using their staff account in order to generate a 6-digit or QR code. If you are unable to log in using your staff account, please contact Serviceline and ask another member of staff (such as the module lead) to generate the code for students.

 

Information for students

Students only can download the SEAtS app from Google Play or Apple Store.

The system will be cloud-hosted and students will need to use the SEAtS app to access their account. Once the app has been installed, you will be able to access it through the MySouthampton app.

Downloading SEAtS app

Students can download SEAtS Mobile app from:

• Google Play
   
  
  
• App Store
  

Further information for students

Students can find more information from:

• southampton.seats.cloud
• MyEngagement - How to use SEAtS to monitor your attendance
• MyEngagement academic monitoring tool - frequently asked questions
• How to install and use the SEAtS mobile app

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Getting started – User guide

Video tutorials

Lecturer’s Video Guide To Navigating the SEAtS Dashboard

 

Lecturer’s Video Guide to Setting Up QR codes and Managing Attendance

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How to log in

To log in, please:

1.    Open the Southampton SEAtS web page

2.    Enter your university username (for example: ab1c23) and password

3.    You will be asked to confirm your identity through Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication

4.    You can now access SEAts interface.

Please note: shared computers in learning spaces will also have a direct shortcut to the SEAtS website on the desktop, simply double-click it to access the webpage.

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Managing lectures or teaching sessions

Search for a session

To search for a session (for example a lecture, tutorial, seminar, etc) in SEAtS:

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Set your Start end End date parameters, and enter in the Search field one of the following information:

• The module code
• The Crn
• The module name

3. Select "Enter"

4. You will see the results in a list. Select the required lecture for further details.

 

Search for Medicine sessions

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. In the search bar enter:

• The programme name (for example BM5),
  or
• The programme code (for 5250, 5251, 5252)

3. Select "Enter"

4. You will see the results in a list. Select the required lecture for further details.

 

Create a new lecture or a teaching session

Timetabled Lectures should automatically be uploaded to SEAtS and any new lecture should be created by the timetabling team.

Please only use this feature for small groups (for example 5 and below) and make sure to add any relevant students to the session using the instructions below.

How to add additional lectures:

1. Select the button "Lectures" from the toolbar

2. Select the "Add class" icon

3. Fill in the details using the drop-down boxes:

1. Lesson type
2. Date
3. Time
4. Room
5. Class tutor (the lecturer)
6. Class description

4. Press "Save".

 

Add a student to a session

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select your chosen lecture

3. Select the "Student" icon

4. From the drop-down menu, select the option "Add student"

5. From the new window, search for the student you wish to add

6. Select the button "Save"

The system will automatically record your changes. 

 

Remove a student from a session

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select your chosen lecture

3. Select the student you wish to remove. This can also be done by searching for them.

4. Select the "Student" icon

5. From the drop-down menu, select the option "Remove student from class"

6. Make sure the correct class is selected, then select the button "Save"

The system will automatically record your changes.

 

Cancel a lecture or a teaching session

Where possible, lectures should be cancelled with our timetabling team, which will automatically feed into the SEAtS application. If however, you need to cancel a teaching session on short notice, please follow the instructions below and contact our timetabling team to let them know.

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select the lecture you want to cancel from the list

3. Select the "Edit class" icon. It will appear a drop-down menu with the following options:

1. Move class
2. Merge class
3. Swap class
4. Cancel class

4. Select the option "Cancel class"

5. A new window will appear. Select the button "Confirm" to confirm your choice and submit the changes.

6. After cancelling your class, you will need to update your students about the cancellation. Please remember to:

1. Publish an announcement on Blackboard, or
2. Send an email to your students

 

How to change a teaching session from mandatory to non-mandatory or vice versa

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Tick the box to select the required session

3. Select the icon "Edit Class"

4. Untick / tick the "Is Mandatory" box and select the button "Save"

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Managing attendances

View a student’s attendance

When you open MyEngagement app, you should automatically be on the home tab.

How to check their attendance:

1. Log in to SEAtS and navigate to the home tab

2. Look at the toolbar and check whether the "Focus" button is set on "Students"

3. Move to the "Search" field and search for the student’s name or student ID

4. Select the chosen student

5. Select the tab "Analytics". From there you can see graphs and bar charts showing their attendance.

 

View a class’ attendance

When you open MyEngagement app, you should automatically be on the home tab.

How to check the attendance of a class:

1. From the toolbar, use the drop-down boxes to fill your class:

1. Faculty
2. Campus
3. School
4. Programme
5. Module

2. You will see a table with the data filtered.

3. Now select the "Layouts" icon to change the layout from "Table" to "Dashboard". MyEngagement will show you a pie chart and a line graph.

 

Registering an absence on behalf of a student

Staff are able to register an absence on behalf of a student in SEAtS. To do this:

1. Select the Home page icon

2. Search for the student you need, and then click into their profile

3. Select the "Add Absence/Activity" icon within the students’ profile:

4. Select "Absence" from the Add drop down

5. Select "Agreed Absence" from the Type drop down

6. Complete remaining fields, and "Save"

7. The absence is then recorded on the students’ Student Profile page.

 

Manually record or edit a student’s attendance

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select the lecture you are looking for

3. Move to the "Search" field and search for the student’s name or student ID

4. Select your chosen student

5. By using the icons above the student’s box, you can mark them as:

1. Attending
2. Late
3. Absent

The system will automatically record your changes. 

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Managing 6-digit or QR codes for lectures

Create a QR or numerical code for a Lecture

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select the upcoming lecture by clicking on the relevant row (e.g. on the time of the lecture)

3. Select the "Check in" icon (a small QR code)

4. The QR and numerical codes for the lecture will appear on your screen - it can copied and pasted to your slides. Under that QR code you can preview a six-digit code which should be displayed for students to enter

You can get a QR or numerical code up to 2 weeks before your teaching session.

Acceptable use:

1. Obtaining the 6-digit code before the class
   and
2. Sharing it with the students. Writing it on a whiteboard or circulating a piece of paper is proving to be a popular and acceptable way of providing the code to students.

 

What to do if you forget to create a QR code

You can check in students and smaller classes manually. If necessary, you can mark your lecture as "No code displayed".

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Select the lecture you forgot to create a QR code

3. Check the option "Select all"

4. Select the "Students" icon

5. From the drop-down menu, select the option "Other"

6. A new window will appear. Open the field "Other activity type" and select the option "No code displayed". You can also add a comment if you need to.

7. Select the button "Save".

 

Important recommendation

Please note that the MyEngagement / SEAtS application includes confidential student information.

Please avoid displaying this information in a public environment (for example: lecture theatre) by disabling screen sharing/mirroring until you have the QR code ready to display.

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Making reports

Create and download a report

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Reports" tab

2. Fill in and set the necessary information you want to collect

3. Select the button "Save"

4. Select the button "Create report". Your report will appear on the screen.

5. Select the "Export" icon to start the process

6. Choose your type file (PDF or CSV)

7. Select the button "Save"

8. Go to the toolbar and select the "Notifications" icon (a bell). Your report will appear under the notifications list

9. From there, you can both:

1. Select the "Export" icon (a cloud with an arrow pointing right), or
2. Select CTRL+J to view it in your downloads

 

Exporting student attendance data for a teaching session

1. Navigate to the session in the SEAtS dashboard

2. Select the students that you wish to export (using the checkbox in the top left if exporting all data)

3. Select the "Cloud export" icon (shown in yellow in the screenshot below)

The data will be exported as a .csv file, which can be imported into Microsoft Excel.

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Changing settings 

How to change the default home screen when you log into SEAtS

We would recommend changing your home screen setting in SEAtS to one that does not show any personal / confidential information. This means that if you load up the SEAtS website in public, there is no danger of displaying that information to others.

How to change your settings:

1. Select your profile icon

2. From the drop-down menu select "Settings"

3. From there, we suggest changing your setting as follow:

• Default landing page: "Lectures"
• High contrast: "Yes"

The changes will be immediately active. 

Please note that changing this settings sets a cookie in your browser. This means that the filter may need to be set up again if that cookie expires or is not available on the computer you are using.

 

Filtering columns on lecture attendance or lectures page

Changing this filtering might be useful if you need to bring lecture attendance information up in a teaching session to ensure that only student names are shown.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Look at the toolbar and select the "Lectures" tab

2. Tick the box to select the required session

3. Select the column headings icon

4. Ensure that only the following boxes are ticked:

• Status Indicator (optional)
• Student Name
• Module
• Programme
• School 

5. Select "Save"

 

Please note that changing this settings sets a cookie in your browser. This means that the filter may need to be set up again if that cookie expires or is not available on the computer you are using.

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What to do If you need further help

If you have a technical question that is not answered in the user guide above, please contact ServiceLine.

If you have any further project questions, please contact aemproject@soton.ac.uk

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Related content

MyEngagement - Home

How to set up and manage Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)