Rapid Response Time
It is imperative that instructors respond and provide feedback to students in a timely manner. If not, students will develop anxiety or worse might decide to drop out of the class. If we expect students to complete all classwork/homework on time, then instructors should be immediate in their response times.
We use Rapid Response Time in the medical field
I use it in our lab time to create a sense of urgency
Anthony,
The key is for the students to know their instructor will get their work/tests back to them in a timely manner. Knowing this helps them to see that they have a supportive instructor that is there to help them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree, it does not necessarily have to be daily but before the unit has concluded - hopefully within that same seven day time period.
Gayle,
This immediate feedback is so important because it lets the students know exactly where they are in the class. This keeps them forward focused throughout the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I make it a point to have their work graded and back to them by the next class. They can then ask questions and get feedback while the information is fresh.
Sonya,
Thank you for reinforcing the need for prompt feedback to students. It does make a difference as you mention. Good way to keep students in pace with the class because they see their status and what they need to do to be successful.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You are on target with this response. I have been guilty in the past of not grading papers promptly and I would wonder why the students would lose excitement and enthusiasm. Teaching is a demanding job and sometimes it can be difficult to keep up with grading papers. I have learned the hard way that I was directly responsible for sapping energy from my own class by not giving students timely responses to their progress in class.
George,
Good comments about rapid response time for student work. Your guidelines are very realistic as well as supportive of students. Students want instant feedback and this simply is not possible if we instructors are going to read and evaluate every project and assessment. I really support your comment about letting the students know what the expected response time is going to be for the course. That way they know from the beginning of the course how to set their own expectations for feedback.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Prompt feedback is very important; however, there should be a reasonably acceptable response time in regards to the number of classes and students an instructor has. This is something that should be negotiated at the very beginning of the class allowing students to understand that an immediate response may not always be feasible. For example, on a paper based assignment or quiz, maybe 3 days to a week, or on an online assignment maybe 24-72 hours. I think it is very important for instructors to establish and communicate response times in the beginning of each new class so that students will become comfortable with a concrete schedule for tests, quizzes, and even email communication.
Lance,
This is how it should be. In the work world things need to be done on time and well and the more we can get our students to understand this the better. So if they turn in work late they face consequences and they need to see what those consequences are and how they impact their future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I always try to grade anything turned in to me as quickly as possible. I admit though I prioritize the work turned in on time and after that will grade things that are late. Not that I want to minimize the effort of those that turn it in late, but I don't want to encourage the behavior and penalize the people who did what was expected of them.
Lissa,
No it doesn't have to be just a point score or letter grade. I would look for some other rewards that can be used. I have found that adults are just taller children. They still like to receive rewards like candy, smiley faces, and words of encouragement. By sharing these reinforcing this way you can buy yourself some time until you get the actual grading completed. I will do quick reviews where I call randomly on students to answer questions that were on the test or we have just discussed. Correct answers get them candy. They get very competitive as they want to earn the candy and show what they know. Fun time where learning is occurring and they aren't so worried about the letter grade at that time.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Teresa,
There is no set rule but I have set for myself that I will have all projects or quizzes graded and ready by the next week's meeting. This way I can discuss the quizzes with my students while the information is fresh in their minds. Generally if I am teaching a twice a week class I have their worked graded by the next class meeting. Set for yourself a goal for getting responses back to students in a time frame that will work for you and your schedule. Be consistent and your students will appreciate your effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Does response always have to be a letter grade? I find that I am overwhelmed with teaching 36 credit hours and often put grading off until the weekends. I am constantly coaching and encouraging students. What other ways can I respond with taxing myself more over grading?
How rapid should resonse time be? I meet with my students twice per week and they have access to engrade.com to view their grades daily.
Viviana,
Like the way you get every student involved in the review process so they know exactly where they are in terms of knowledge and skill development. By knowing their status they know what they need to work on and where they need to concentrate their study efforts in the coming weeks.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to review these with the class, as they are not obliged to discuss anything they don't want to. But I have found as a class they all want clarification on mistaken answers, which also helps the class not only learn better the material taught, but also as one unit, see that there is not one person in the class exempt from getting a bad letter grade. So the quiet and non-confidence student is no longer so.
Arif,
This is a good method to follow for the reasons you state. Prompt feedback helps to keep students engaged and moving forward in their learning development. Knowing their status in the course helps them with their planning and effort as they strive to correct any of their weak areas and enjoy success in their strengths.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Grading student work and returning it back to to them promptly is significantly important for the student retention.
It is very important to read all the student work thoroughly and point out all the mistakes. The properly graded work must be returned to the student during the next class meeting. Good work must be appreciated and and it is important to identify the weaker students. The weaker students must be provided extra help for student retention.
