Managing Learner Behaviors
Ask him/her what they see that would be more appropriate or what would serve them better. If it is reasonable let them do that.
A learner has sent you an email challenging your choice of activities in the learning unit. He states that he doesn’t believe that the discussion questions are relevant and the assignments are a complete waste of his time.
How would you handle this learner?
I understand. Education (as in healthcare-my field) the customer is not always right and it could be very dangerous to approach it that way.
Hi Kim, my issue with adapting to students is that it becomes more of a "customer" approach where you are trying to please the customer and I'm not sure I want education to go down that road. Tina
Yes, I would have also defended the questions and explain how they are relevant. I really like your idea of asking them for questions they think are relevant. I had not thought of that. There are several benefits of this approach.
good job applying the unit material to the DQ!
I would put it back on him ask him:
a) Why he thought they were irrelevant, and
b) What does he think would be a relevant DQ and assignment related to the material.
If he came back with a DQ and/or assignment that I found acceptable I would allow him (and the other students the option of completing them in place of the assigned one.
Remembering that adult education should be student focused and relevant I think this could help the learning. I would also then point out how the assigned DQ and course work were relevant by giving examples. Often times the student cannot see the forest for the trees so they miss some important concepts.
I always thank a student for their opinion and email. I then would have the student evaluate in written format why they feel the discussion question is irrelevant and why the assignments are a waste of time. I would then ask the student to either ask a person in the field or perform research to see if the topic is currently relevant in their program of study. Most students do not go to these lengths to argue out of an assignment. The majority of students that I have had that balked at particular assignments had another motive for not wanting to complete the assignment. If I can get to the true motive, I have a really good chance of connecting with the student. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way.
I really like your response. I would have just asked the student to give specific reasons as to why he/she does not feel that the assignment is relevant. I like your continuation of this idea to come up with 2-5 relevant questions and why. Of course, what do we do if the student balks at this suggestion?
I would first explain that every course he is taking towards his degree has been evaluated to be of the highest quality and relevant to the course work.
I would then ask why he felt it wasn't relevant and try to provide real life situations that would connect the dots so that he can understand the relevance.
Hi Carol, you make an excellent point about using instant chat or even the telephone to discuss the issue. I have more success with the telephone in resolving issues because the student can hear my tone and the synchronous nature of the interaction can all an easy exchange. Tina
I would ask if he was speaking generally or specifically and if he answered generally, I would pick a scenario that has real world implications in my own life or past co-workers or business life (protecting their privacy by not naming names). If he gave specifics, I'd guide him so that he could ultimately see the relevance of the assignment. A one on one instant chat with him may help flesh this out so I'd invite him to chat real time as well.
I'd also ask for his input and thank him for his feedback.
Hi Kendra, so many learners complain about discussions just being "busy work", so I think helping the learner understand the relevance of the discussion is critical. Tina
Basically I would tell him that I respect his feelings, explain why the questions are important and despite whether he believes they are a waste of time - they are in fact a requirement of the course.
I would empathize with the student by first stating that I understand that taking this online class does require a large time commitment and that can be difficult to manage at times. I would then try to present the most recent discussion question in a different way, and explain the reasoning behind it or attempt to provide a different angle that could be used for his next submission. I would then state that the discussion forums are a way to interact with his peers and his instructor as a replacement for in-class discussion time in a live classroom. I would then re-state the grading rubric and the minimum amount of postings required for full credit.
Hi Zulema, would you take just this one learner's recommendations or would you send out an email to all students asking for their opinion on discussion topics? Tina
I would ask the student to write out three discussion topics along with way he feels they are relevant.
Then I would discuss this with our student and faculty memeber to see if I need to ajust the discussion questions.
Hi Esther, I think this is a good way to manage this situation. Most of the time, learners just want to be heard, so if you can ensure they are being heard and help him understand the relevance of the discussion, you should be able to resolve the problem. Tina
I would first acknowledge the students right to challenge the assignments. Then, I would inquire whether the student had completed the reading assignments.
After obtaining the students response. I would describe how the assignments are relevant based on the course goals and objectives.
I would also use one of the assignments as an example of its relevancy by comparing and connecting it with an item in the news that is a real life example of the point being made by the assignment.
I would explain in detail why this learning activity is valid.
