A programme is being rolled out at Napier University this semester which requires students to register coursework submission via fingerprint ID, the institution announced this week.

Described by a spokesperson as "revolutionary," the system has been designed by Chris Riley, a Human Computer Interaction Researcher at the School of Computing, in association with NCR Financial Solutions Ltd., an American company specialising in funding solutions using new technology.

Looking for new ways to increase administrative efficiency, Mr Riley sees the technology as a step forward in reducing queuing times at submission points and speeding up the collection of large numbers of assignments. He said: “the system will make students’ lives easier when handing in coursework. Undergraduate and post-graduate students in the School of Computing have signed up to the scheme, and we have had an excellent response."

It is further hoped that, by asking students to provide fingerprint identification, the university can create an audit trail for each stage of the coursework submission process, providing an additional safeguard in disagreements over deadlines.

In terms of identifying students, however, it is unclear what the benefits of the new system are compared to more traditional methods of coursework submission – a drop box, for instance. Despite employing what a spokesperson termed "advanced fingerprint technology," a spate of recent reports have pointed towards flaws in the perceived infallibility of fingerprint identification. Tutorials detailing the ease with which fingerprint scanners can be fooled are readily available online – an issue now seems particularly contentious given the fears over biometric national identity cards proposed by the Westminster government.

Nevertheless, should the scheme prove successful, it is likely to become a key player in the institution's technology agenda. According to Mr Riley, "the School of Computing is keen to use cutting-edge technology to improve students’ lives while at university. If it is a great success, we may look at introducing the fingerprint scheme to other Departments and Faculties within the university." Until then, however, the system remains on trial, subject to a thorough review process as part of a larger academic research project.