I would thank him for taking time to share his opinion and open the floor for discussion, but would explain to him that this is the activities are here because they do pertain to the topic and reinforce learning. I would explain to the best of my ability how the activities pertain to the lesson and remind him that the activities must be done for him to earn a grade and pass the course. I would then offer him an opportunity to share his opinion of further chapters and lessons with me, because if he continues to feel this way, I would seek assistance from his student advisor to see if the program is right for him and if he should continue. More than likely, the feeling will pass and he will be able to complete the course successfully.
Joye,
Good response and affirmation. Thanks.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Joye,
Maintaining the integrity of the instructional design is one good reasong to present to the student. Very good. Also, continued encouragement toward engaging further in the class may provide the insight the student seeks. Good points.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Catherine, I completely agree with your statement. In my current situation, this is exactly the case. The institution is behind the assignments so it is important for the student to do the forum as assigned.
John, it makes sense to find out why the student feels this way. Referring to the syllabus is also a good idea. In the institution I work for there is a syllabus already in place for each course, which is provided for me by the institution. This being the case, the student might better understand that the topic is important to the institution to address.
I would tell the student that the current assignment was one that was facilitated by our institution and that it is one that is necessary as it is part of the curriculum. The student should be encouraged to participate in the discussion and read other's responses to see where the discussion goes. He may find that this assignment in fact was relevant and not a waste of time.
Laura,
There is no one approach to this situation. Providing explanation and requesting clarification is a reasonable way to go.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I would ask the student to state his opinion in why he thinks its not revelant. I would try and explain why the discussion question is revelant. I would also encourage him to read and reply to his fellow classmates in there opinions.
Crystal,
Excellent idea, some learners may respond much better via the synchronous chat.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I would try to explain to relevance of the discussion questions and assignments. I would relate them back to the lesson so the student is able to see the time between the two. Depending upon the student and their personality this may be delivered best in a synchronous chat.
Jennifer,
Your response to the student is reasonable and facilitating. Very good. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I would thank the student for his opinion. I look at his point and evaluate the material he is talking about. It the material is relevant I would explain to the student how the assignments and activities will benefit to his or her learning experience. If the material could be changed I would then let him know that I would speak to the program development team about the issue.
Eryn,
Using this as a learning opportunity for the student is a great approach. Allowing them to see the depth of the course content may help win over the sincere objection. If the student is simply creating obstacles to complain against, then this approach will certainly bear that out. Very good.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Matt,
Your final statement is the key. Maintaining a respectful learning environment and not relaxing the requirements are critical responsibilities of the instructor.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Tina,
Absolutely! This is one of the reasons I enjoy facilitating online courses for other educators. Engaging with so many professionals from different segments of the industry can provide great deal of depth to the topics discussed on these discussion boards. Every now and then a new dimension opens up and provides answers (as well as new inquiries) for online class facilitation. Great point. Thank you.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I would respond to the student and thank them for reaching out to me with their concerns. I would then follow up and explain, to the student, the importance of participation in an online classroom and I would describe how dicussions help us learn through participation. I would also take the assignments, and discussions, in question and relate them back to the course objectives. This would help the student see the importance of the assignments/discussion and how they foster learning.
For me it is easy, we as instructors at my institution do not write the assignments, I can simply pass the buck :-)
But to be fair to the student, I would ask them why they feel this way, and what they would like to see done instead. If it is truly worthy of consideration, then pass that back to development for changes.
I think the key here is to still treat the student with respect and get their feedback, but they still have to complete the assignment as written.
-- matt
I like that thought - people should at least try to see the possibility of learning something out of the assignment, discussion, etc. We can all learn SOMETHING from each other!
Dan,
This is a tough one. I like your positive, reasoned approach. Providing substantive rationale an opportunity for discussion is a great way to engage the learner at a deeper level, if the intent is a focus on better education. If the learner's motives are not in that direction than providing them the contact information for the represented you indicated is correct. Nice job.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I would try to explain to him how the discussion questions tie into the rest of the course content and why they will help him understand the important topics in the course.
For the assignments I would help him understand what he is learning or what he could learn from them.
I would also help him understand the philosophy that guided the choice of activities assigned to him and the other online learners.
If he continued to challenge the choices made then I would direct him to the contact person representing the college online.
I would also explain to him that the requirements of the course would not change and that he would still be responsible for their completion.
