Late response to discussion thread
Some students wait till the last day to submit their main responses to the discussion question thereby not participating fully in the discussion topic and denying others of early contribution of their own perspectives to the subject matter. How would you evaluate such students?
Grace,
This approach sounds like a good idea. Are you able to obtain the results you desire? Thank you for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
The way that I handle this is to take off points (1 or 2) if they have not consistently posted throughout the week. There is a built in system for this with the newer requirement to post an initial post by Wednesday midnight and a deduction of 5 points for failure to adhere to the deadline. I will encourage students to post consistently throughout the week with a suggestion to post Monday Thursday and Saturday this way they can get a full overview of their peer's discussion and really collaborate with each other to engage a meaningful dialogue.
Sara,
Thank you for sharing the process you use. By the way, this is a common approach by many institutions. The effect you describe "increased our participation overall," is the general consensus. Thank you very much for pointing this out.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Austin,
We use a discussion board policy that is tied to the rubric. Our units begin on a Monday and end on a Sunday. We require one post by Wednesday and two between Thursday and Sunday. This has increased our participation overall. Additionally, late posts are not accepted. I hope this helps. :)
Austin,
I believe you must grade them with strict adherence to the rubric parameters. Unless the evaluation criteria includes specific directives concerning "last day submissions," then there probably should not be any impact on the evaluation. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile to address this component within the evaluation criteria. I understand that earlier postings by the students would better provide reflective thought time for all participants, thereby enhancing the learning experience. However, this may be one of those components of the learning environment that might not be as controllable as we would like. Good question. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
