Tena,
I just think in general, the sooner the better we can get grades or performance status information to the student the better prepared they will be to work to make needed improvements, or to feel encouraged.
Barry Westling
It is very important for them to know in what aspects they need to improve and how they can improve on them. We can then discuss the various ways they can make changes, such as tutorials, discussions on study habits, other references to help them or doing and submitting assignments and projects on time.
I've noticed a huge improvement in student satisfaction and retention once I began meeting with them regularly to discuss their progress in the class. They all were glad that "I care".
Informing students of their success in an on-going manner is a fantastic method of keeping them happy with their efforts, on track & on time with their assignments and assisting them if they are having difficulties. It's a crucial diagnostic tool for me, as well. When I find myself getting behind in reading their homework, for example, it often puts me in the students' shoes and I reduce the amount of writing as homework. Of course I need to measure outcomes on a regular basis, but the assessment tool may be overwhelming to the students or cumbersome to grade. This is a call to action for me. I can revise after making this discovery.
W.H.
So that they know how they are performing and, if their grade is low, they can be proactive in increasing their performance (talk to the instructor).
The students retain more of the correct information if informed of their status/test grades in the course, if the work is graded and given back in a timely manner, (next class meeting) and able to discuss where they went wrong and see what they missed and correct it immediately with the correct information.
It is very important to keep students informed about their status; students have the right to know how they are doing in the course. If the student know that they are not doing well in the course they can request for tutoring to improve overall academic outcomes.
One would be for motivation to do better each session The very next day after giving a test or quiz I’m asked “how did I do� Therefore, I make sure all quizzes and test are graded, comments are made, and all test and quizzes are returned to each student by the next meeting. By providing feedback the student is given a sense of direction of where there learning is at and an opportunity to build a better instructor/student relationship.
Susan,
I like that idea of attaching the printout of scores with their homework. Accountability, with self responsiveness and intitiative to make improvement. Really, a simple technique but effective. I agree, these would seem to work well together.
Barry Westling
Of course it's only fair that students have a right to know where they stand in a timely manner.
More importantly, I find that it really lights a fire under the procrastinators when they can see their progress (or lack of it) quantified. I love our online grading system for this reason. I have the students go in weekly and print out their scores and attach this to their homework. I have found that they come to me to discuss it. I used to have to hunt them down to go over their status. They take greater responsibility when they can regularly track and see the impact of their actions.
For those students who stay on top of their work it serves as positive reinforcement for their behavior. I do have formal check in times with students but I've found this method an even more powerful tool. I wouldn't replace conferences, but I wouldn't give up this system either. They work great together.
Kelsey,
Like a journey, students need to know how close to their destination they are. Frequent and early on discussions, or at least providing a way for students to check their own status makes for better study and work to improve grades.
Barry Westling
I know for me personally, I become demotiated about my work when I don't know how I've done previously. Currently I am taking an online course and this instructor is behind 3 weeks. How can I improve, if I don't know what I need to improve. One thing I established in my classes is if assignments are turned in on time, then their grades are in on time, typically by the next meeting, that way they can log into the grade book and always know how they are doing. When mid-term reviews came around there was no question as to where they stood because grades were always updated at the very least by the Monday of the next week.
Thanks so much,
Kelsey
Amy,
Yes. It also gives us a time to connect interpersonally. I think most students hearing from their instructor on a one-on-one basis, as we can add supportive comments along with advice and suggestions for improvement (if needed).
Barry Westling
It gives them feedback on how well they are doing and what areas they need to improve.
Bernadette,
It's probably true that the student (or someone on their behalf) is assiting with tuition and related schools expenses. Responsible students will want to know immediately how they're doing in order to make mid-stream corrections, and in enough time to have an impact on their final grade.
Barry Westling
John,
Right. If t5here is somethging we can do, such as sharing grade information, offering advice or suggestions, or other assistance, I think that's part of our job to convey methods and ideas that help students meet their classroom completion goals.
Barry Westling
When students are made award of their progress it helps to keep them pumped up and wanting to either keep the high score they have or if it is low must students will tend to put it into high gear to improve their overall grade. I believe that most students attending college are paying for it themselves therefore they want to get their money’s worth, so they will try harder to keep a higher GPA.
So they will be reinforced to keep working hard if they are doing well, or have a chance to modify/ change their course behavior if they are doing moderate to poorly. Overall it avoids failure of a course and helps the students achieve better success in the long run.
Eddie,
Settings vary, but regardless, the more feedback a student receives, the more apt they are to at least acknowledge the areas that may need improvement. And I think anytime an instructor can find time to spend with students to offer advice, suggestions, and assistance, we can also offer support and encoragement.
Barry Westling
In our fast paced "terms" of 20 days, if a student gets behind it is very tough to succeed. the more updates you can give a student, the better heads up they will have. Luckily, the "good" students never really need much updates because they KNOW they are doing well because of their effort!
