Colette,
Do you think that the student could have a point in their concerns? Should we be open and listen to students concerns, could they actually be telling us something important about our courses?
Herbert Brown III
I would address the student's concerns by delineating the relevancy of the assignments. Usually this is a form of intimidation and by setting appropriate boundaries and showing the relevance of the assignment, the intimator is usally quieted. In extreme cases I might call and discuss the issues with them.
First, I would state I want the student to be successful and have confidence in his or her ability. Next, I would explain the objectives and why the assignments or activities are important to complete using real world and academic reasons. Each point would be explained using the school policies as well as an explanation of how I grade and design the class.
There is a need to concisely explain the course design and objectives and how they relate to the assignments. In order to be successful in the class, the questions and assignments need to be completed.
I would provide clarity on the discussion questions and explain why the assignment is relevant to the unit and overall course objectives, if necessary.
Jared,
Thank you very much for your post. I agree that it is important to explain to the student the importance of the assignment. However, I also feel that you should acknowledge the student original feelings. With that being said, you should then go on to provide why the assignment is important. If you can relate this to the student's personal experiences, all the better.
Thanks
Jim
Herbert,
Thank you very much for another outstanding question. This is a very interesting case (and one in which all online instructors will experience). The first thing that I would do would be to acknowledge the validity of the student’s thoughts. I would then go on to explain why the question is relevant to the student outcomes that we are looking for.
I would use examples of what we are trying to get out of this assignment. It would also help to use some hobby or work related information gained from the student biography assignment earlier in the course. This could be used to help the student see the relevance of the assignment.
Thanks
Jim
I totally agree with you! Adults really do learn oly what they feel is relevant or important. That's why I feel like seeing the body language of a student is important, so that you can see if they really are retaining the subject. I'm a very good sales person so I believe that it is important to explain things in the course.
I would discuss with the learner the overall course objectives and the context in which unit activities are designed. I will also stress the importance of the unit concepts in solving real-world problems. Thanks
I would send him an email to ask why the questions are not relevant and why the assignments are a complete of his time. I would emphasize the importance of these assignments for the course and why these assignments are included. If he is very familiar with these questions and assignments, I would encourage him to think deeper and still contribute to the classroom learning process by posting his responses to the classroom.
Thanks.
Simon,
Good point. I like the fact that you "consider" their opinions as viable. There are certainly times that their input will show us a flaw in our curriculum that needs to be changed. We have to be at least OPEN to the idea that they have a good point. Then we need to address it correctly if they do have a valid point.
Herbert Brown III
I think showing them the connection between course objectives and the question at hand and how they relate can go a long ways to getting the student on board with learning and retaining the materials. If at the end of the day, the instructor finds it hard to correlate the two, then it may be time to speak to the relevant course designers.
I would ask the student to provide me with the reasons why he did not think that the discussion was relevant and support their answers. Whether his views are right or wrong, this then provides some form of discussion from him. I, as the instructor, would also validate the reasons for the choices of the activities and also make him aware that the content maybe necessary for other learners. In a sense let me vent but also make sure that his mannerism and behavior does not take back seat. Letting him engage may lead to him bringing the topic into the discussion and create a diversion for his waste of time.
This can be a tricky matter. The student could genuinely asking to be "challenged." Or the student could fall into the category of an "intimidator." Either way, the situation needs to be handled quickly and privately before the student's attitude becomes apparent in the classroom.
In this situation, I would privately contact the student (via email) and reemphasize the course objective and learning outcomes. I would then use real-life examples to tie the assignments to the course content. I would then try to probe further to see if there is an underlying issue. If the subject of the assignment draws from the student's personal experiences, I would encourage the student to share his/her perspective.
If this is the single email I have received from the student I would get back with the student and enter into some discussion, maybe by phone since emails can take some time to get to the core issue.
If the student has entered into a series of such emails it would alert me to there being a bigger issue, and I would do what I could to discover the problem.
Sometimes I have found that something is missing from the course, or my communication has not been effective, etc. There are other times I have discovered the student to not have the needed background, and/or abilities, or is simply trying to excuse him/her self.
In other words, it depends!
Michael & Alan,
In many similar situations I have had this approach seems to be a good one, and by pursuing this approach one finds that the root cause is something else.
First, I would reevaluate what I have asked and the assignment. We as teachers should not become stagnant and lose focus on the changes around us. Look at how our students today utilize technology. I am consistently changing my assignments to fit with the ever changing world around us. Having said that, I would then approach the situation with the mindset that my coursework is relevant to the class. I have found that a gentle reminder, or explanation is helpful to a student that challenges the curriculum. On the other hand, we have those students that have already made up their minds, and nothing that we say will placate them into thinking otherwise.
Probably thank him for his email and explain the course material is written by experts in the field.
Hello,
First, I would relate to the student why the discussion questions are relevant to the course content, syllabus, and their ability to complete my course. In addition, I would point out how the assignments are also relevant to the course content, and the Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) which they have to meet in order to successfully pass the course and demonstrate competency. Finally, I would remind them why they are taking my course in the first place and how it fits into meeting their overall educational and degree requirements. Happy Holidays!
Best...
Dr. Naomi
I would find a common string to connect the student to the activity by digging into how the student sees the activity irrelevent. This question reminds me of the Karate Kid movies where Daniel thinks painting the fence is completely irrelevant to learning martial arts but in time he is proven wrong,
I would explain why the discussion questions are relevant and then I would try to show him why they are worht the students time, and how it could possibly help him in the future.
