Not only to make sure the assignments were done, but to also get an understanding that the student understood what he or she was doing, and to clarify on any assignment that they may have
Hi Luke,
Great points. Also, homework can help one to get a higher grade on tests, thus having a high class average.
Patricia
Hi Richard,
Assignments are very important, therefore follow up from instructors is crucial. Instructors should want to know if their students are grasping the concept or not.
Patricia
Students need to see the relevancy in every aspect of the course. By no following up on reading or assignments, it states they are not relevant. However, by following up on assignments and reading, teachers can create more excitement and interaction within the daily lessons. The more areas a student researches on a topic, the more they grasp the concepts, the more they are willing to get involved in the class environment.
As a math instructor, I assign weekly homework and collect it the following week. This forces students to be disciplined in their approach to my class since the weekly quiz questions come directly from the homework assignment. I've tried not collecting homework in the past. However, student grades actually dropped that quarter because they were not doing the homework on their own and thus were not prepared for the weekly quiz. I want the students to succeed, so collecting and grading homework is a way to help them learn discipline and good time-management skills early in their college career.
Hi Tom,
Yes! I tell my students each day that you are closer today than you were yesterday to finishing. The goal line has to be reminded to students to keep motivation going.
Patricia
Hi Don,
We should never just give "busy work" all assignments should be applicable to the lesson being covered. Students know when "busy work" has been assigned.
Patricia
Unfortunatly, it is a sure fire way to find out if they did the assignment. The assignments should have direct relavence to the subject matter and/or industry. This makes the information important. Following up helps encourage students to do the work. You need to also show them why it is important for their future.
There has to be a reason for the assignments and the readings we put in a syllabus. If I don't follow up on such items, I should ask myself why I put it there in the first place. If for no other reason, the student can ask me the same question. Can I justify it? Hope so! In addition, things need to be progressing to some finishing point. Most adults want to see the end point. Assignments and readings along the way provide us with an opportunity to show "how much closer we're getting" to that goal line.
It helps student understand the value of the assignment and in following up you can explain to student how the assignment is revelent to the course.
Students need to know how they're doing in the class. By following up promptly we are able to alert lower performing students early enough so they may change their behavior to improve their performance in the course. Every student has a right to know where they stand.
Immediate feedback signals to the student that the assignment is important and that the instructor values the time that the student gave to the assignment and repects the process of learning.
Hi Erika,
Assignments are relevant to students whenever they fully understand how they will help them in the job market. Students get excited whenever they understand the benefit of learning.
Patricia
It is important because the students need to see the relevance of their work to the class. This also allows me to clarify points, expand ideas, and then discuss with the students how this knowledge will benefit them in their career. Often students are unable to make the connections from the book to how it will be beneficial in the job market. I use their assignments and reading to create dialogue in class to different scenarios where this knowledge can be applied. Many students engage in this transfer to even other arenas where they have used the lessons.
Hi Michael,
What type of follow up do you use for homework?
Patricia
I ask questions on the assignment and do follow up with other questions with in that question. I what to see if the read it or just glanced over it. But I alway are asking of them about the assignments even a few days later.
Sometime I find myself so eager and excited to go on to the next lesson or writing topic that I am tempted to just jump right in, forgetting about any written and reading assignment pending from the last class. I force myself to slow down and discuss any reading assignment and collect any written asignment. It is important to be consistant,to hold students accountable,and to give that well prepared student a chance to share their aquired unsights and knowledge. I remember a graduate course that I had taken and that I was
so excited about that I looked forward to sharing my thoughts in each class. I still remember how disappointing it was when occassionally the professor would just move on without giving me my chance to discuss. He was a brilliant professor, but he would sometimes forget about collecting assignments. I loved the class until the end, but took the assignments less and less seriously.
If you assign work and never collect it students will begin to think that it is not important and not do the work. Keep to your assignment
Hi Fortuna,
It is important to follow up with assignments so that you can determine if your students are grasping the information or not. An instructor should have a keen interest in what there students are doing.
Patricia
Students will se that I really care about the work assigned and it is just not "busy work" or something to fulfill a requirement.
