With Mike I may compliment his previous work and express confidence in his doing improved work. It may be that he didn't quite understand the assignment, course requirements, or the concepts being discussed. Perhaps too few references, references that aren't current, etc. I assess work based on content, organization, and format. So these are areas I'd cover with Mike. And I would be quite specific while being supportive. Students are offered opportunities to resubmit work (with a stated penalty) based on my comments and their full understanding of the assignment.
I would acknowledge Kathy's assessment with both knowing she's capable of better work. There would be an opportunity to improve the work based on our assessment and an offer of any help we feel appropriate.
Scenario 1: Mike turns in a self-evaluation of his performance on an assignment that indicates that he thought he did an excellent job and met all of the criteria in the grading rubric. When you grade Mike's assignment, you see that he has not done as well as he thought he did.
An e-mail to Mike. I have reviewed the submission for the assignment you make several excellent points. However, there are a number of short comings in the submission that need to be highlighted for consideration. These are......
Scenario 2: Kathy turns in a self-evaluation of her performance on the assignment that indicates that she knows she didn't do a good job on the assignment. When you grade it you find that she accurately evaluated her performance.
An e-mail to Kathy. I have reviewed your submission and am delighted that all the of the rubrics have been met and your grade is excellent. Please continue the excellent work on the assignments. If you have any questions please let me know.
Matthew,
I agree. Timely feedback is very important, as is being diplomatic and sensitive in your responses. Email does not allow for emotion, so careful wording in your communications is paramount. If you have the option for a Live session/chat or phone call, that can be more helpful in sensitive situations as well.
Herbert Brown III
Anytime I provide feedback to any of my employees, I begin with a positive and then discuss any opportunities. I believe in providing fast feedback all the time, to ensure learning is taking place.
With Kathy, you will need be sensitive because she already feels bad regarding her assignment.
Taryn,
These are all great strategies to connect with the students in the scenario. Rubrics are paramount in assessment. They provide the clear framework for both the student and the instructor so there is no confusion on the assessment of someone's work. Making that personal connection with the students to work everything out is also critical.
Herbert Brown III
This is a great assignment!
First, I would address with Mike all the areas where the self-evaluation is on target with the rubric. Secondly, I would then point out how the self-evaluation does NOT match up with the rubric and why. I would then remind Mike of our policy to revise the assignment to receive up to 70% return on the grade deductions as long as the assignment is completed with the allotted time frame.
In my discussions with students, I Would always make myself available for additional questions they may have and include all contact information, and an expected time frame for responding to their questions.
I also think it's important to put the focus on the self-evaluation and rubric, avoiding inappropriate use of "you" and "I" in order to remove the personality and feelings from the discourse--because "you" and "I" are often trigger words for conflict.
For both scenarios, I would focus on the grading rubric provided at the beginning of the class for each assignment.
For Mike, I would point out how he did not fully meet the expectations as outlined in the grading rubric.
For Kathy, I would encourage her to thoroughly become familiar with the grading rubric and to follow it carefully in crafting her assignments.
Anthony J Matias
Scenario 1: I would send Mike a private message/email asking if there were parts of the evaluation he did not quite understand. Then I would tactfully point out the discrepancies between his self-evaluation and his actual performance. I would end my communication with a "plan for success", which would include information and helpful feedback on how he can improve his performance in the course.
Scenario 2: I would praise her for accurately assessing her strengths and weaknesses. I would then reiterate her findings and offer helpful feedback on how she can improve her performance in the course.
Charmelia,
I agree that feedback does provide this information. What are some of the ways that you provide effective feedback to your students in online courses? How do you provide details to the students regarding how they will be evaluated?
Herbert Brown III
Providing feedback to students helps them better understand what areas in which they need to improve and which areas they are proficient in.
Scenario 1: Mike turns in a self-evaluation of his performance on an assignment that indicates that he thought he did an excellent job and met all of the criteria in the grading rubric. When you grade Mike's assignment, you see that he has not done as well as he thought he did.
Response: Mike, thank you for your self-evaluation - I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts. However, there is a disconnect between your vision of how you did and the actual assignment requirements. Let me review where the disconnect is...
Then I would provide the specifics in detail.
Scenario 2: Kathy turns in a self-evaluation of her performance on the assignment that indicates that she knows she didn't do a good job on the assignment. When you grade it you find that she accurately evaluated her performance.
My communication will differ.
Kathy, thank you for taking the time for your self-evaluation. You accurately identified the disconnects between your work and the assignment expectations. However, this is good. It demonstrates to me that you know how you fell short of the requirements and what you need to do to change that for next week...that sometimes if half the battle.
If I can help you with your next week's assignment, please contact me. You know I have 20-hours of office time each week, so reach out to me early in the week - I do want to see you succeed.
Scenario 1: I think is this instance it is important to be specific about the issues in the assignment and be sure to use language like "the assignment" and not "your assignment" so that the student does not take things personally. Give detailed responses and siting examples may help clarify my position.
Scenario 2: I think if the student is correct in their assessment in not doing well, then it is important to give my real evaluation so she understands what areas need improvement. I also agree that is it important to point out the positives of the assignment so the student is not discouraged.
-Lance
Geri,
Are there tools that can help you provide detailed and specific feedback for the students? What level and depth of feedback should you be providing...how do you do it?
Herbert Brown III
It is a good idea to provide feedback to the students to give guidance (they need to hear if they are on the right course or not)
Edwin,
The positive reinforcement goes a long way with students and giving them the confidence they need. I have also found that students read the content just to get through it, not for understanding or comprehension. I find myself having to teach basic study skills to many students to help them be successful.
Herbert Brown III
Scenario 1 - In communication I would focus emphasis on what he did right with the assignment. Then recommend some reading or reviewing of text or a concept/procedure and allow him to reassess his own work and resubmit the assignment. i.e. Review the math order of operations on page ?.
Scenario 2 - Again I would focus on what she did right. That will help build her confidence. Point her in the direction of the information needed to support the problem areas. Sometimes students don't know exactly what it is they are expected know or where to find the information and they read the material only once and too quickly, I will recommend that the student highlight their text using the objectives as a guide.
Janice,
Asking questions is always a good start it might reveal some underlying issues that were not immediately evident.
Herbert Brown III
Scenario 1- I would email Mike letting him know I appreciate his effort and timeliness, however my evaluation which is based on the rubric, differs. I would give him an example of a better response in one area and encourage him to keep trying.
Scenario 2- I again would always find some way to compliment the student. She needs to be encouraged. With Kathy I would agree with her self-evaluation and ask her if she had anything which prevented her from accomplishing the project or if the was any areas that needed further explanation.
Mike:
I would applaud his effort and suggest he consider course information that provides guidance on parts of the assignment that are incorrect or could be improved. I would encourage him to move forward with an open mind and attention to the detail presented in the course.
Kathy:
I would phrase my communication in a forward-looking attitude, encouraging her to communicate with me as to any issues she expressed in her self-evaluation that inhibited her performance. I would indicate my willingness to assist in helping her understand course material or in assignment completion. I would end with assurances that I have confidence in her ability to be successful in her educational goals.
Scenario 1:
In the areas where Mike did a good job, I would communicated those points and what he did well. He answered/provided detailed information to express his point of view.
On the areas where he low performed, I would address those concerns in a constructive manner to help him do better. For example, he might have provided adequate subject content on his essay but his grammar and/or sentence structure might not be up to par.
I would be sure to remind him that if he has any questions, not to hesitate to reach out to me.
Scenario 2:
I would first communicate "Good Attempt" on the Assignment because after all, she tried.
I would send an email to Kathy to see if she had any questions or concerns about the subject content and try to determine her area of weakness and provide suggestions and helpful tips.
It is important that Kathy knows that I am sincere in helping her reach her potential in submitting good work and that I am here to assist her in making that happen.
