Student Feedback
This is my first time teaching online and I have found that students are eager for feedback regarding their assignments. I try and grade papers within two to three days. If anytime after that, the student may contact me for feedback. Does anyone else have a different benchmark for assignment feedback? If so, is this working for you?
Austin,
You have many VERY good discussion posting here that (IMHO) do not have singular, straightforward answers. The answer to this one is that we cannot accept responsibility for deficiencies in adult learner behaviors, but we are responsible to reiterate the corrective actions in a respectful and timely manner. This (and many of your other exceptional posts in this forum) is one of those contemporary, inherent hazards of the job. Mostly because online instruction is still in its infancy, there is not yet a quick fix (that I can see) for this scenario. The 'human condition' is the main culprit here, and that is specifically what we are addressing - in a general sense - to improve through education. This appears to be just another learning opportunity in the online classroom of today.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Feedback should be actionable but the problem is that some students do not take time to read the feed back. They are only interested in seeing whether they made an A or not. I had a student in one of my courses whom I provided feed back and gave example of how to format reference source in APA format. The grading rubric and associated scores were provided. Once the student noted that she did not make an A, she fired off an e-mail demanding explanation of what is already contained in the feedback.
Hi Rodney, I agree and the feedback needs to be actionable, so once a learner has read your feedback, they should have no doubt what they need to do to improve their performance. Tina
Students crave feedback and quickly realize when it is not being given. I've had cases where students expect the grades to be posted at a certain time. They are alert and will contact me if I have not posted by a certain point. I can at least feel assured that those asking really care about their grades.
Thanks,
Rodney
Hi John, I agree that it is critical to give plenty of feedback to students to help them continue to improve their performance. I encourage my faculty to use a sandwich technique that begins with where the student excelled, in the middle include areas where the student can improve their performance, and end on a positive note to encourage them and keep them motivated. Tina
I grade and supply individual feedback within two days of submission. I also remind students weekly that if they have any questions whatsoever, to call me throughout the week. I try to give as much feedback as possible as I feel online students need even more interaction to instill the level of encouragement needed to stay motivated.
They have my email address and can always contact me with any questions
