Heh I actually ran into this once. I simply asked the student to come up with a question that was relevant and if it was good enough I would not only approve it I would make all the other students answer it.
It needed revamping a little but it was pretty good.
You need to remind the student that the discussions and assignments are focused towards what they will entail within the industry once they graduate. You can back this up by stating that the discussion could be a questioned asked by an employer during and interview or that assignment could be the one that gets them a position in the area they are seeking. Then showing how these do relate to their degree.
I would take into consideration how all others in the class were interpreting the activities. If no others had issues then I would have a private conversation to try and why the student thinks the way they do.
If others are having issues with the activities then I would review the activities to see if they do have problems that need corrected.
Students are investing their time and desire to gain new information on a particular subject. When a student feels the assignments and discussion questions do not hold relevance, as an instructor within your Module Objective and Overview stating the relevance of the discussion questions and assignments is key. Making sure the real life application is stated will also help any student who questions the relevance of an assignment or discussion question. As an instructor, engaging students within the discussion board by giving examples of your real life experience is beneficial for the learner as well.
I would try to give the student suggestions on how the questions relate to the topic. I would challenge the student to submit a question that they feel may better fit the topic. I would respect the students suggestions and in the process encourage communication for the given topic.
Hi Herbert,
This happens all of the time. There is usually one student in each class that likes a challenge. :) When I get emails like this I acknowledge their frustration and thank them for reaching out to me and then I help them make connections to the course material and the real world. I also remind the student that the material cannot be changed and even if he or she is frustrated with the material it must still be completed. I offer my assistance and give them resources like the Writing Coach and online links that might make the material easier. Often, students find the work a waste of time because they don't understand it. My job is to help the student get back on track. Phone calls are often helpful so they can talk out their confusion or concerns. Most students who send out these aggressive emails are simply frustrated. We as instructors need to recognize this and not get defensive and help guide the student back to the path to success.
Try to explain and prove to the student why the class materials are relevant.
I would tell the student that I am sorry he feels this way, but the activity is part of the lesson and the discussion question have been approved by the departments and it is his choice whether or not to complete the assignment, and if he chooses to not complete the assignment his grade will reflect that. I would probably also encourage him to discuss other topics he might choose to discuss to the department head and see if they can be incorporated into other classes.
Hello Mr. Brown,
Simply share the worthiness of the activities and how they can benefit the students, now and/or in their future.... Also, agree that some lessons may seem irrelevant, but that the course is created to fit a wider audience than just one individual. And to ask for his patience and understanding through the activity at hand.
Respectfully,
Tony Gonzales
I would acknowledge his question and attempt to help him understand the importance of the question. I would choose my words carefully, as written form can be misinterpreted versus verbal form. If I am unsucessful, I would also invite him to discuss his concern with me instead of continuing it via email.
First, I would thank him/her for opinion. Then remind them that the activities in the learning unit are developed in a process that involves educators and professionals from industry.
I would also mentioned that we also work with publishers to maintain latest in industry software & textbooks. The curriculum design is a cycle where we collect information and input and any specific suggestions or ideas are welcome and will be noted. However, the current discussion questions are the ones we will be working on.
I would handle this situation using direct private communication with the learner. The initial reply would involve a response to his email. The response would contain the relevant chapters and concepts as listed in the course e-book or text. Some students feel that if the information is not contained within the course text that it is not relevant enough for assignments. My personal opinion based on field experiences would also be included. This would help draw connections to the real world or employment with the assignment.
If the learner continues to question the assignment a Office Hour chat or telephone conversation would be arranged. During this conversation specific questions and answers may be addressed.
Finally, if the learner still does not agree then his online advisor would be notified and asked to provide assistance. The online advisor would be responsible for following the institutional policy to resolve the conflict.
Hello Jerad - Nice post! Your observations are good ones. I think it's important you have taken the time to consider the unique circumstances of an adult learner. Would you agree that it's also important we all listen to, discuss,and possibly learn from the perspective that particular student brings?
Thanks. Robert Mattox
First I will go over the activities and break them down based on the learning knowledge acquired in that unit which I usually do on my rubric. In addition, I will ask the student to clarify what he/she think is not in line with the learning unit. Based on the response, I will clarify why it is so and follow up with pointers to the learning concepts learned without giving away the solutions.
A few ideas are as follows:
- Review the class objectives with the student (either in an email or chat, phone) and how how they are directly linked to the outcomes of the class - and the week.
- Acknowledge his contribution; you don't need to validate it, but let him/her know you appreciate their feedback.
- Perhaps show/explain how you might reply to the discussions; offer helpful tips for consideration; be proactive in your reply; do not get defensive
JV
This happens to me all of the time since I teach math a lot. 99% of the people I encounter hate math and think that everything is a waste of time for them because they all believe they will never use it. I always tell them that part of being a college graduate means that you are supposed to be well rounded, and that even though I didn't like art appreciation, I still had to take it because it was one of the required hoops to jump through. The same applies to them and math.
I would ask for his/her input on what questions they feel would be valuable. (this would force them to do some critical thinking) If they sounded good I would commend them on the critical thinking and remind them that the purpose of the disucssion is to get the thoughts going. If in turn they were bad questions I would ask them how they tie the LO's to the question in a positive way. If they are just completely combative I send them a private message or in some cases I have called the students and then asked for feedback and have found that they are caught off guard when I call them and this has helped with their behavior.
I would remind the learner that he is responsible for setting his own goals and objectives within the content of the class he's attending. If he finds the activities irrelevant you can reach out to him for specific examples, reasons for feeling this way and in so doing, you may be able to discover his learning style.
Once you have done this, you should be able to direct him towards content that uses his style of learning which will appeal to his affective, cognitive or psychomotor skills. Once you've identified which learning domain he responds best towards, you can then introduce him to learning content in ways he most identifies with.
Hi Everyone,
To make the subject relevant, I encourage students to relate the issues at hand to their own life experiences and knowledge. A good way to get students involved is to make topics and issues about themselves, engage them with topics they can relate to. In essence, I ask low-pressure questions that all can easily answer to foster confidence. Since I instruct Sociology, the first few chapters always deal with the concept of culture. I use the topic of culture to engage students to think about and reflect upon their own culture. This exercise is a great equalizer, a great way to get to know one another, and keeps students connected to the class.
I would find relevant research to back up the significance of the assignments by relating them to real world examples.
