If you require attendance, an option would be to require that anyone who misses the lecture download the Podcast and write up a 1000 word essay on what the lecture covered. This ensures that the student actually did listen to the lecture. If the student fails to write the essay, attendance points can be deducted. The essay could be emailed to the professor, a TA, etc. One of the previous classes I had last semester did this.
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If you require attendance, an option would be to require that anyone who misses the lecture download the Podcast and write up a 1000 word essay on what the lecture covered. This ensures that the student actually did listen to the lecture. If the student fails to write the essay, attendance points can be deducted. The essay could be emailed to the professor, a TA, etc. One of the previous classes I had last semester did this.