Hi Salma,
It is good for questions that pertain to the lesson to be addressed in class because invariably it is another student with that same question.
Patricia Scales
Following up with students is part of class maintainece. I will use the white board in the class to remind students what is due for the next class meeting. Quizzes and assignments are posted on the white board. This material is also in the syllabus but often over looked.
I liked the ideas of color coded syllabuses to draw more attention to the weekly assignment.
My assignments are usually based on the course material I have taught in class before. So when I give assignments it usually serves as a means for the student to recoup all that we previously learned in class.
I make it a point to follow up on the assignments to make sure that they are not missing out on the concepts that has already been discussed in class. If they have not understood something that was given in the assignment, I ask them to bring it up in class so that everybody benefits from the question being asked.
I find that following up on assignments in a timely manner keeps students engaged. Too often, if assignments are not followed up on in a timely manner, students tend to think that their is no importance to that particular assignment.
Jeff
Dustin, I agree with you. Reminding the students of their assignments makes them accountable. The students cannot say that they did not know they had an assignment due because you have reminded them.
In my opinion, it is important to follow up on assignments and readings that have been given to students because for one, research shows that feedback has a high desired of effect with a d=66% (Hattie, 2009). Providing feedback to students will assist them in guiding their development of learning. Also, following up on assignments/readings models the behavior we as instructors desire from the students. If instructors do not follow up on the given assignments why would the students complete the assignments?
I don't think it is fair to the students who are doing them and the ones that are not if you don't follow up on assignments. The ones that are currently doing them may stop if you don't follow up, and the other students that don't do them will be missing relevant information and continue to think it's ok in your class and maybe other classes too.
It is critical to follow-up on assignments and reading you have given to students as it is an essential aspect of learning and to the course. By having scheduled homework and formative assessments, you can diagnose how the student is doing. You can also use this to modify your teaching and the potential learning activities to improve the student learning process.
Any activity outside of the classroom has to have student accountability to ensure all students will complete the work. The most typical activity that falls into this category is textbook reading; however, can also include online videos/lectures or any type of "absorb" activity. To ensure students do the appropriate work, explaining that there might be in-class pop-quizzes, online quizzes, and/or in-person/online discussions that test their knowledge will ensure students prepare accordingly.
It is important to follow up on assignments to create an environment of accountability and it helps the student in acquiring knowledge. The assignments are designed for their learning benefit.
Following up on assignments also prepares the student for the real world, where they will be held accountable for requirements.
Most students are putting time and effort into the assignments and readings and if not checked by the instructor, it could cause the students to loose focus and trust in the instructor.
I found that when I follow up with student assignments it lets them know just how serious I am about my class and there grades. It also shows that I care if they pass my class or not.
it is important for the students to realize that as an instructor you will follow up because sometimes they are under the impression the instructor will not follow through
Hi Charles,
I like how you use quizzes to encourage/force your students to read. Our students need to know that reading is important to success.
Patricia Scales
Students have a number of things going on in their lives and sometimes it is necessary to check up on the work that has been given. As an instructor I want to make sure they are reading the material for the discussion in the classroom and doing the assignments to help them out when test time is around the corner.
You need to know the student is learning the information and retaining it. It also holds them accountable for performance.
I have a quiz at the beginning of each class not only to access the students comprehension of the material presented in the prior class but also to instill the need for the student to compete the assigned reading. The quizzes have components that I didn't cover in the lecture so reading is imperative to doing well on the quizzes.
We also discuss the lecture from the past class and I ask someone in the class to explain certain areas of the assigned reading.
We also have a strict "late assignment" policy that provides for severe penalties for turning in late assignment.
Hi Kamice,
I love how you make learning very real in your class by utilizing competency material. It is important for students to be able to show that they have mastered a skill without direction. Retaining information is very important.
Patricia Scales
It is important to follow up on assignments and readings you have given students to make sure they are retaining the material. Following through with group discussion and question and answer sessions is a great way to see that they know. Using test and homework assignments are also good ways of following up. In addition to assigning homework and tests the instructor should grade them and proved feedback in a timely manner. As both an instructor and a student I appreciate that. It shows the students that their time and success in your course is important. Students can use the feedback to improve and refocus their studying. I also use competency booklets in my course. Where I have students demonstrate skills and or behaviors previously covered. The competency book shows if they can master a skill independently without direction. Since the courses I teach vary so do my competency booklets. Some of the skills are as simple as writing a memo to administering an IM injection with a dosage calculation.
Following up with student’s assignments are critical. Not only does the instructor need to make certain an assignment is handed in they need to review it. I found that when I make comments on assignments the more effort is made by the student on subsequent assignments.
If the students know that the instructor is not putting in a genuine effort they will not either.
