Purpose:
This paper aims to determine if the allocation of 10% of the final grade, based on a series of in-class exercises, improves student attendance at Excel labs.

Design/Methodology/Approach:
The methodology is based on a single exploratory case study. It used attendance records for two semesters (before and after the intervention) and considered them for comparative analysis.

Findings:
Over the past number of years, attendance at university classes and labs has fallen steadily. This researcher aimed to implement an intervention to determine whether allocating a proportion of the final grade for the completion/uploading of a series of in-class exercises improved attendance. The module descriptor was updated to reflect the allocation of 10% of the final grade for in-lab exercises, uploaded once each week by students, over a series of 6 weeks. The researcher delivered two labs each week. Students uploaded exercises completed during one of these lab sessions each week. 2% of the final mark was awarded for successfully uploading these exercises. This continued during weeks 1-6 of the semester in question. Five of the six uploads formed the basis of the allocation of 10% of the final mark (2% x 5). Six uploads allowed flexibility in the case of students with consistent attendance who recorded a genuine absence during one of the weeks in question. Disappointingly, the above intervention resulted in no improvement in attendance and failed to stimulate better engagement by students.

Research Implications:
This paper has implications for lecturers reviewing module assessment structures. It highlights that assessment based on the completion of work in-class is not a motivator to improve attendance when the proportion of the final grade allocated is not significant.

Research Limitations:
The paper is limited by its small sample size and singularity of test. A study using larger sample sizes and greater assessment weightings may be beneficial.

Keywords: Assessment, attendance.