Chakita,
You're right, a good sense of accomplishment can be very motivating and foster positive feelings towards the course, the instructor, and the institution.
Barry Westling
I feel that it is important to allow the student to understand we they are and if they need to improve. It allows them to readjust an prepare if need and it gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Katherine,
Sometimes it's difficult to convey areas that need improvement from the assignment of grades. Students sometimes take the comments as critizism, more than the intended area of needed improvement. This is where trhe 1 on 1 chat or discussion can help minimize misconceptions about witten comments regarding needed improvement. A kind word, support, or encouragement can go a long ways towards building trust (and respect).
Barry Westling
I do weekly evaluations with my students. I do their strenghts and what the student needs to work on for the next clinical and all skills performed. I grade all care plans on a weekly basis and return them by next class. It is a lot of work but it this way the students know exactly what needs improvement and what they have already improved on from the previous week.
Stephanie,
Students need to know where they stand, what improvements are needed, and given suggestions or advice to see their grades and mastery of the material is achieved. In one way, they should be accountable to keep track of their progress. That said, as instructors, we should be proactive to make sure they know where they're at from the instructors standpoint.
Barry Westling
I think its important so that they can know where they are at in the course. It also keeps the student on task.
Kerry,
Working backwards from the end of the course, I know what essential skills and knowledge I want students to have. So as I move forward in the lesson, I try to meet frequently and early on so as to inform students where they are, and give them suggestions or advice about improving their grade if that's needed. If not, I just give them well deserved recognition. If struggling, I'll offer encouragement and support in discussions about grades.
Barry Westling
In my course, there is much to cover and each stage is tied to the next. So updating students as we progress is vital to their successful leaning of all the material.
Leslie,
I agree that the more frequent and early on we can connect with our students, the better they will be able to react and adjust to make needed improvements in their course. The opportunity to give words of encouragement is also a great way to build trust and respect among students.
Barry Westling
Students like to know what their status is in a course. I try to keep them informed of this on a weekly basis. I think it allows them to be more responsible and take a more active role in their success in the course. They are able to see how each assignment, quiz, or exam affects their grade and I think that helps them to feel more in control of the outcomes of the course. It can help motivate students to work harder if the grade was not as good as they thought it should be. If they achieved a high grade on an assessment it can stimulate them to work even harder. It also helps me as an instructor see how each student is progressing and points out students who may need extra help.
Edward,
I agree we want to give direction for studying and assistance on preparing for exams. I don't give extra credit because it rarely yeidls much towards student learning and, in my view, is merely a way to add points or alter a grade without contriubuting to student learning. I liken it to the work place where as workers, there is no extra credit. So it is in my classes.
Barry Westling
So that they can gauge the necessity of the need for extra credit or how they should allocate their time for projects/studying. I give my students their totals after mid-terms and the Friday before finals week, so if they need to obtain points via extra credit, they will have four solid days to do it.
Rochelle,
Interesting case study of one of your students. I think frequent and early on discussions with students about their performance and status is helpful. Also, there needs to be enough time to make a difference in their understanding and trasfering that into an improved grade. Students have to be accountable, but we can be tenacious in offering our suggestions and advice, along with our support and encouragement.
Barry Westling
I think keeping students informed of their course status at all times is extremely important. We use an electronic gradebook, and I prepare student flyers for my students on the first day of class with their uniquely assigned access to my course. Students in my class have typically been in the program for at least 2-3 quarters and are quite familiar with how to use our gradebook. Once we discuss the syllabus on the first day of class, which clearly defines the course grading policy, there are really no excuses a student has for not being aware of their class standing.
Access is important, but I believe students have to be held accountable as well. I had a situation where a student failed one of my courses last year and indicated she didn't realize her grade had slipped after mid-quarter reviews because she lost her access card and doesn't have a home computer. We discussed mitigating strategies to help her going forward, and when I had this same student in a different class last quarter, she was quite consistent in following the gradebook and always on top of her class standing. Although she still does not have a home computer, she was very proactive when her grades were below-par, was much more aggressive in following up with class assignments, and successfully passed the class, obviously using some of the strategies we discussed last year. She always had access to her standings, but also realized the importance of taking responsibility and being accountable for her academic success.
Mitali,
This sounds like a very good frequency and should give students enough time to make any suggested adjustments to occur to have an improivement in their grade. In some courses studemnts will always be a bit aprehensive before finals regardless what we do, but wondering whether they will pass the course or not is the most stressful.
Barry Westling
I inform my students of their grades every 2 weeks and I have noticed it reduces apprehension and they know where they stand and are not scrambbling the week before finals trying to figure out whether they will make it through the course or not.
Christina-Rose,
Yes, and there needs to be enough time after the discussion for improvement to a students grade to occur. Too little, too late can have devastating results.
Barry Westling
Keeping students informed of their status in the course helps to keep them engaged in their education and helps to promote accountability. They also see that I am interested in how each of them do on every evaluation.
Peter,
Good point. Documented comments regarding discussions can be a life saver at times. Some students will not take responsibility for their actions, and for those, documentation prtovides a good memory jogger.
Barry Westling
I believe it is important to keep them up to date with their status so that they can make ajustments as needed to successfully complete the course. It will also protect you from students saying they had no idea that they were failing the course when it is too late for them to bring their grade up to passing standards.
