Time Management
I have been teaching online classes for several years and it doesn't matter if it is the students first college course or students taking courses in a graduate program, time management is always a challenge. I make it a point during the first week of class to discuss time management and offer different strategies that can be of benefit including the course assignment schedule with due dates. I also post weekly announcements stating the different assignments that are due along with the actual due date as well as reminders as the due dates gets closer. I offer sample schedules and actually have them complete one for the upcoming week. This makes them account for everything that happens in their daily lives - eating, showering, traveling, work, school work, house cleaning, chores, sleeping, other priorities along with scheduling time for themselves to relax and have fun. I also emphasize how much time they should be devoting to course work whether it be reading or actually completing assignments. I encourage them to set up a routine where they work a little bit each day rather than trying to complete everything in a few days. I send reminder emails and announcements regarding assignments to serve as a gentle push.
Time management is essential for the online student. Once a student falls behind, it is challenging to get caught up because most online courses move quickly and require a good amount of work to be completed. Falling behind can be very overwhelming and this is why time management skills are so important.
Jean
Jennifer,
Ooooooh. . . . I LOVE the idea of using an infographic! What software would you use? Share if you can.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jean,
Thank you, these are great strategies. My students also struggle with time management and I have been exploring other ways to encourage better time management. I might use your strategy to make an assignment where they have to fill out their schedule. In addition, I thought about presenting a weekly time management schedule in the form of an infographic. I hope these techniques helps.
Jen Evans
Ashley,
You are right, we are doing our students a great disservice if we don't hold them accountable, they will be at a disadvantage later. I actually stopped taking late work.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
It is absolutely important for the students to have a strong time management skill before entering their career of choice. This is crucial in society and without setting those standards now, we are sending our students out unprepared. I give them one class day to turn in their late assignments because I do understand that issues arise and things come up but it should be taken care of and turned in immediately. OUr standard policy at my campus for all classes in opur program allows the students 3 days to make up exams and they are allowed to make up 2. These exams are different from the originals and usually fill in the blank.
John,
I agree with you regarding time management; both the student and the instructor may need to really work on it! Now, about late work; I struggle with handling that because it sets an expectations that I find doesn't just affect me but also other instructors students will encounter. I used to do the 10% per day but I now don't take late work at all unless discussed with me and I will work with students on a case by case basis. I don't believe in zero tolerance but I find students that assume I will always accept late work but I to approve it now. In the work world being late can be disastrous.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jean,
Hello. Thanks for that information. It's important for the students to have strong time management skills so that they are well-prepared for the corporate world. Students should consider using a calendar so that they know when work needs to be submitted. Instructors should consider implementing a late penalty for each day that an assignment is late. Should the late penalty be at least 10% per day late? Why or why not? I look forward to your reply.
Regards,
John Halstead
Jean,
Thank you for sharing your techniques, they are great. I actually create an Outlook Calendar with dates and schedules they can upload to phones. I encourage them to use the Outlook calendar to help them plan the complete day, not just the stuff for their course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
