This learner may want to be challenged further. I would first reach out to this learner and assess where they are coming from. For example, I would ask are they understanding all of the course materials and the connections between the discussions and assignments. Also, I would ask them for any suggestions or input. In addition, I would be understanding and listen to my learner's needs or concerns through contacting them frequently. I would also discuss in my weekly reminders how the discussions and assignments correlate with the course objectives.
I would refer the student back to the course syllabus and course objectives. I would also send an email asking the student to explain why he/she feels that the discussion is not relevant.
I actually tend to get this quite often in a hybrid course that I teach. I don't get too much of the opposition during the resident course, but certainly feel it during the online side of things. My approach is usually with patience. I ask that they just stick with me while I present the content to them. What they feel is a waste of their time now, they might not by the end of the course. I show them real world examples of what we are doing from my own portfolio. Again I just ask that they give me a chance. By the end of the course, it is usually those learners that are the ones who are most appreciative of the course!
I've received inquiries like this before (not very often), and I believe that solid answers are necessary. The good thing is that instructors should have solid answers ready if their assignments and activities are tied to the stated learning outcomes on the syllabus. In this situation, I would respond by explaining the relationship between the assignment/activity and the learning outcome(s) it is intended to develop. I may even get somewhat philosophical about the need for practicing skills as well as internalizing factual knowledge. My foremost goal in this situation is to give an objective rationale for the work in question and, at the same time, to show some empathy for an frustration the student may be experiencing. My rationale should provide firm ground that puts the question to rest, but that doesn't mean that the student should be "put in their place." Instead, I would try to help the student find a practical mindset to help them begin caring about the assignment. Giving him/her more information about what skill/knowledge the assignment is testing has worked for me in the past.
If this student emailed me, I would ensure that the assignments align with the course objective. I would give an example. I would take the first assignment, and then give examples of how it aligned with the one or more of the course objectives. I would also explain how the discussion questions align with the course objectives and where you could find the answers in the course material.
It is difficult to convey why they are important. The best way to do this is to relate the discussion questions and assignments to real life scenarios and issues. This will reinforce the integrity of the course work and illustrate the importance of actually trying on the assignments.
Jean,
Interesting approach. I do appreciate that you at least want to hear their arguments. There are times that we can learn from our students and there might be some validity to their arguments.
Herbert Brown III
I would ask the person why they began the class in the first place, was it a means to an end, meaning a required course for their degree? Or was it a course that they elected to take to satisfy a component of their schooling? Then, depending on their response I could ask their opinion of what they would see as a more relevant assignment and have them give 2-3 valid reasons as to why they thought each activity was more relevant. Then if they could sway me I might see if there was any way to incorporate some of their ideas. There are times that I know that I just haven't had the right motivation to do something and just wanted to complain and this just is them wanting someone to listen to them before they went on to do the activity without any more discussion.
It is important that you are able to explain to the learner why the discussion questions are relevant and how they can assist in learning the content of the class. It can be difficult, especially if the learner is adamant about the activities. But the instructor just needs to not take the comments personally. It might also be a good idea for the instructor to communicate to the department chair the learners feelings and to let them know how you responded just in case the learner contacts them. This will give them a heads up.
Heather
Hello
Well I have never had this issue before but will elaborate. My approach would be to persuade the learner how important this topic is and how he/she needs to view it in conjunction of their major. I would simply bring the topic into his/her area of interest and make them see it from this perspective.
Very carefully and diplomatically. I have actually had situations similar to this. In this type of situation, I always need to project the confidence to the student that the course structure is appropriate to the learning outcomes and relevant to students in that particular program. I also want to use this opportunity to defuse any sense of alienation on the part of the student, so I want to be open to listening to why they believe it is a waste of their time. I would want to discuss this in a live one on one session so that it would be documented and archived if there were any allegations from the student in how I dealt with them. When I have had this situation, I have had both outcomes, a successful interaction with a student who realized their position was based on their lack of understanding of the material, and another student who was entrenched in their position, very angry and defensive and rather dismissive of my trying to open them to seeing the relevance of the material. You cannot win them all, but you can certainly always try and always maintain your professional demeanor.
Maureen
I would solicit the learners feedback as to why he/she feels that the discussion questions are not relevant and why does he/she view the assignments as a complete waste of time.
I would take the criticisms, think about them and determine whether or not there might be some legitimate reasons for the learners concerns.
I would also try to point out "big picture" how the questions/activities fit into the course/curriculum goals and objectives particularly in light of the syllabus that we are using for the course.
Basically, I would acknowledge the student's "thoughts and feelings", let him/her know that I would take them under advisement, point out the relevancy of the "activities" to the course learning obejectives and thank him/her for their input.
Each learner needs to be challenged. Just like children, if they are not challenged they will become a behavior problem. A student that feels they know more than the instructor, or thinks the curriculum is inappropriate needs to be handled before the attitude spreads like a virus.
The only way to credibly gain the student's trust in this matter, is to take time explaining the details of the skills learning, and then using real-world applications of the material.
Also, in asking the student to think and relay how it makes sense, meaning, getting them to actually work through the thought process to link it to situations they are learning it for, and respectfully putting the challenge back on them may be possibilities for alternatives in learning.
The first thing I would do email the student back privately with the question asking why they feel that way. I would then go into the reason behind the assignment and explain the relevance of the assignment. I would ask whether why the student feels as though the assignments are a waste of his time. Moreover, I would ask the student which sort of discussion questions would be worth his time.
What I am doing here is trying to figure out if the student is really against the assignments or if there is something else going on. In other words, if the student really believes that this is not worth his time, then he or she would probably come back with some other discussion questions. What I can do then encourage him to incorporate his thoughts into his discussion post responses.
Finally, after some back and forth, I would indicate that the discussion questions are part of the course, and while I would show some flexibility if the student wanted to incoporate some of his thoughts into the assignment, it is important to complete the assignments for the proper amount of credit.
Basically, I would try hard not to alientate the student and sell them on the material. If, however, after the back and forth, the student is still not convinced to work within the framework of the course, then I would call the student and have further discussions about whether the student should stay in the course.
Patricia,
Great positive response to a difficult situation. Students get very frustrated when technology, software and systems don't work, and rightfully so, but helping them understand that the frustrations are part of the learning process as well is Great. I tell my students that I often build assignments that WILL frustrate and challenge them....that is where the greatest learning takes place.
Herbert Brown III
Adult learners look at education from a different perspective. The adult learner wants to see the relevance in all aspects of their learning and will be more likely to question the instructor. It is my responsibility to explain and show the relevance in the assignments, and how it applies to real life situations. I recently had a course that used an online billing simulation program. The program was giving the students a great deal of trouble accessing and functioning properly. I had several students that stated that they had to contact IT support to get the problems resolved and allow them to complete the assignments. When they stated that this was a waste of time, I explained to them, that computers are a wonderful tool when they are working properly; unfortunately that is not always the case. By the students taking the time to work with the IT department it provided them a great opportunity to learn how to troubleshoot problems, and find resolutions to computer malfunctions. Once I explained that they had just participated in a wonderful learning opportunity they understood the relevance of the assignment. If you are able to provide students with any relevance they will often appreciate the learning opportunity.
First I would review course objectives, competencies and learners outcome to be sure they align. I would suggest that the student re-read the course outline and remind them of basic online netiquette. I would review my institution's code of conduct for online participation and take the appropriate action specified therein.
With this type of learner, I would start out by thanking the student for his input and concern with regard to his education which hopefully diffuses any escalation of the issue. I would then proceed to demonstrate how the questions and assignments directly relate to the learning objectives outlined in the course. Demonstrating the relevance of the topics/assignments by comparing them with the learning outcomes, along with explaining how such exercises also build skills for the student to bring with him/her to their career, goes a long way in overcoming these types of student objections.
The student may feel that the discussion topic is irrelevant to them but needs to understand that other students can benefit from their input. Contact the student and ask how the assignment could be made more relevant. Are there aspects to the topic that may be more interesting than other parts of the assignment question? Ask for more details from the student on the reason for dismissing the assignment. It is possible that this is avoidance behavior and that the student would like to sidestep the assignment. Catch it early and ask the student to suggest improvements to the questions and ask that they pursue these directions in their answer/writing.
