repeated absenteeism
I have had a problem in the past with students showing up for class maybe two days out of five. I have explained that in class assignments are being missed when students do not show up, and valuable information being missed as well. Students sometimes will be absent on test days so that they can ask the other students what was on the test. To combat that situation, I change the test for those that missed the original.
Jeff,
Good advice because students need to understand their are consequences to actions. By not attending class they are shorting themselves of the opportunity to learn. In addition they are saying that there is nothing of value going on in the course thus I don't need to attend. This is not what employers want to learn about a perspective employee. They are looking for individuals with self discipline and personal drive.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I'm not sure if it's something the administration would allow, but it may also be a solution to not allow a person to take the test after missing test days. Depending on the weight of the exam, it may not make a drastic impact on the overall grade, but will help reinforce the professional concept of reliability.
Hi Heather,
I like your approach. Students have to be accountable just as you say. In addition, they are preparing to enter the workforce where their employers will expect them to do the work in a timely manner--no exceptions. They need to be prepared to meet these requirements.
Gary
I also had a problem with students missing too much time. I found that you have to hold students accountable for their absences. In my class it is the student's responsibility to make sure that they find out from a classmate what we missed in class. Also, if they miss a quiz or a homework assignment, they receive a grade of zero. No exceptions!!
I really like the idea of giving pop quizzes and then adding those points to the actual exam. Not only does that motivate them to attend more often, it also gives them the opportunity to enhance their grade. I will definitely apply this to some of my classes. Of course, this will not work with some subject matter.
Hi Abigail,
Way to hold the line on attendance and consequences on not attending. Illness occurs with students and you have made a policy of how to handle illness when it does occur. This policy is both fair and reasonable for the students.
Gary
I have a few students who can't seem to get over the flu either. I try to make sure every test I write contains some information that wasn't on a slide or on a lab--it was something that I said that the student would only know if they were attending class that day. It's usally a story or funny example to keep the other students interested. In addition, if the student does not provide professional documentation (usually doctor's notes work fine) upon their return, they receive 20% off of their potential final score for each business day they did not make up their assignments. Those who are continually absent are starting to see that being absent having a negative impact on their overall performance.
I have allowed make-up exams and one do-over per course. A do-over is allowed only if the original work was handed in on time. I also give points for participation in class.
I have done the same as Kimberly. I explain to my students how vital attendance is to their success. I believe there is a direct correlation between attendance and classroom success. Those who rarely miss often have better understanding of the material than those who miss out on vital information or exercises that are done in class that help to promote understanding and retention of the class material. Students in my class are penalized for missing test days. They are allowed to "make-up" the test, but only for 75% credit. Just as Kimberly does, I too change the test so that students cannot rely on a passing grade from getting the test questions from classmates who have already taken the test. I also explain to the students that the "make-up" test will be much more challenging, as that student has now had more time to prepare for the test.
Hi Tony,
Right you are. Plus, they get to see how the real world operates when it comes to being on time and not absent. Classes are training grounds for how students need to develop their "soft" skills if they are going to be successful in their careers.
Gary
Well...sometimes building a rapport with students early in the course and providing some very clear course expectations, goals, and outcomes can prevent high absenteeism. As well, providing students with a policy regarding missed classes and a lack of participation...how it impacts their overall grade can also be helpful.
Hi John-Howard,
Good analysis of student attendance. This is what I have found with my students as well. This fall my college issued a notice that we should not have a strict attendance policy due to the H1N1 outbreak. We faculty were amazed that the college would issue such a statement to students, since the announcement basically gave them a pass on attending courses for the rest of the semester. My class following this announcement had a host of absences all of which involved the students that already had been missing on a regular basis. Reason the got the announcement and as a result of the announcement the flu. This was in September and sad to say this same bunch of students have been unable to recover from the flu since. Didn't realize how severe this flu was in certain people. My students that are working hard in the course and attending on a regular basis seemed to have missed catching the flu. Amazing how that works.
So I am left with dealing with the chronic group and the challenges they represent. And, I like you offer them a make up test that is much harder than the original so it is their choice which one they take.
Gary
Apart from those who have a "legitimate excuse" [note there is a pattern -- if their grandparents on both sides die during the course of a 10-week class, then this is not legitimate....], I see three general patterns of attendance, and at least one of these is not remediable:
1) The student attends every class -- no problem!
2) The student attends most classes, but is sometimes late, and often has a problem just before holidays, etc.
3) The student misses most classes, and is often usually late.
There is no need to remedy 1) and the students in situation 3) simply are so lacking in personal responsibility that instructor remediation is not going to have any effect. For 2), some "life coaching" about treating the classroom as a job may be useful.
And yes, the make-up test is harder than the original.
I agree with you totally! I think that students who miss should be given a different exam than the ones who took it initially.
Absolutely! I think that sometimes they feel that they can just skate through with no problem at all. I stress constantly how important attendance is.
Yessir. but every now and then we need to "remind" them of their obligations in the circle of trust. Curriculum and Lifeskills, as well as a good delivery.
Hi Rosemary,
This is a very common sense and fair approach to missed exams. It gives students the opportunity overcome a problem in their lives but is fair to those students that took the test on time. Also, by knowing this from the beginning of the course there are no surprises when something comes up and a student misses an exam.
Gary
The way I approach missed exams is by allowing make-up of 1 exam during the course, if the student contacts me, preferably prior to the start of class (phone or email). This missed exam is subject to a 10% deduction in grade unless they provide me with written proof of a medical, legal, car repair, etc.
I explain that the deduction in grade is applied in fairness to those students who took the exam on-time, because missing an exam allows more study time and the potential for a higher grade if they skip on test day.
Any further missed exams are graded a 0%, but the students know that they can always discuss each situation with me for consideration of being allowed to make up the exam.
Hi Kimberly,
A test is a measurement of student progress and when students miss one of those measurements they need to have a good and legitimate reason for doing so. By asking for a doctor's note you are sending a message to your students about how you value the assessment and their performance on the test.
Gary
