Making sure you use a rubric and the students have access to itbefore the assignment is due and they understand it will take some of the student complaints away.
I use rubrics for all heavily graded assignments so they have an idea what I'm looking for.
Hi Sheila,
I concur, and we make these establishments, we need to make sure to stick to our words.
Patricia
I agree with my colleagues, open and honest diagloue is important. The importance of establishing firm expectations and deadline dates cannot be overemphasized.
Patricia,
Absolutely the truth! This module took me back to my first year of college as a student. I recalled many professors that had the approach "my way or the highway". Made me cringe to think about it. Today, I vow not to be like them.
- William
Hi William,
I like your approach here! There are so many instructors that try to be understood instead of trying to understand the student.
Patricia
One of the ways I have seen used to avoid the subjective responses to essay writing is to have a clear rubric presented to the students before they ever submit writing and to group grade.
Two other instructors meet at the end of the semester to grade final papers. Scores are given based on the grading rubic that each instructor gave out in with the syllabus. We norm the papers based on prior semesters. Then we have a third grader review the papers if we have a large gap between grades. The third grader is the grade given when we can not agree.
No instructor grades their own student's work on the final paper.
Ways to prevent students from having complaints and challenges is to clearly outline what is expected during the initial stages of your class, including outlining in the syllabus, what is expected of the student.
I have also used the method of what do you think I should do? This allows students to feel as if they have some power in the process of resolving the dilema at hand.
I like to use a three step process. 1) Perform active listening when engaged with a student, 2) seek to understand before being understood, and 3) walk in their shoes when it is my turn to talk. This allows me to remain student-centered as opposed to instructor-centered during the dialogue. In my experiences, this results in mutual respect for each other which only soldifies trust.
I agree. Before the start of a new class, I set my assesment criteria and I stick to it, even when the going gets tough. By holding all students to the same standard, I have more confidence in my decisions and know I am doing right by each and every student.
First and foremost you must set expectations for all aspects of the course. You must then fulfill those expectations. You can't say one thing then do another. If a student does have a complaint, ask the student if it can be addressed outside of class. Set a time to meet with the student one-on-one. This gives the students the understanding that you do care about their concerns, but on the other hand will not use valuable class time to discuss the situation. I often find this also gives the student some time to think about what their complaint is and realize that perhaps the instructor is being fair and objective and there was an underlying cause for their behavior.
Hi Nancy,
I can tell you are there for your students. You have several techniques in place so that your students do not have a reason to complain. What a great way to be proactive.
Patricia
My classes are a mix of all ages of students with wide array of challenges. They seem to like
the use of the school portal for postings of assignments and a calendar of due dates. At the beginning of each session, I write the class goals on the board and due dates for assignments, projects, quizzes, exams, etc. I remind them of my office hours and provide tutoring for them outside of class.
Hi William,
I like your approach! Concerns are best handled face-to-face, so much more effective.
Patricia
I encourage students to email their concern and then I can set up a face-to-face meeting with them.
I have found that having a student write down complaints helps to define and clarify the problem if it is a general complaint. When the students dispute an answer on a test, I have them write in APA format with two references the support for the answer they think it should be. This helps the student research the answer and many times they understand where they were thinking incorrectly.
H Wray,
You are giving them great advice. I would also give the recommended personnel a headsup, and I would follow up to ensure that the student spoke with the recommended personnel.
Most of the complaints I get from students are directed at something they believe the school has done to them. Most of the time all I can do is explain I cannot help resolve this but I suggest they see someone that works in that area.
Is there a better way to help them resolve their problem?
I utilize a very specific syllabus. As challenges arise, I refer the student back to the syllabus. I also have them sign a contract at the beginning of class saying they will abide by the syllabus. Frequently, there are students who refuse to comply with the dress code policy. I point out that they signed a contract agreeing to follow it. Usually, this stops the complaints.
The key, as we discussed in forum 1, is a very clear, unambiguous treatment of the course expectations. My course expectations have evolved over the years as I get a certain student question or complaint and realize I could tweak working in the course expectations to avoid future problems in that area. I must say that over the years complaints and challenges have died down to a minimum!
Ken Orgill
What are some strategies that instructors can use to reduce student complaints and challenges? This is my most challenging part of teaching. Really I mean REALLY pay attention to their questions, complaints, and their problems. I get so involved with the class, the schedule, and my ability to get the lesion material across I have to always remember that the class is 30 students and each of those students has a need.
