Attrition as a Mode of Stress
While we are certainly all discussing attrition and its relationship to the students' stress, I wonder if our own stress as instructors is a factor in our ability to address these issues. It's a difficult line to walk. As the reading points out, we all have stress and different mechanisms for coping with stress. I do all that I can to understand my students' stress, and I make clear to them early on that I have stress, too. I try to avoid statements like "If I can do this, anyone can." But at the same time, I have to maintain a balance that places the responsibility for learning on the student. This is where it is difficult for me to find a happy medium, I suppose. On the one hand, I want to help the students in any way that I can. But on the other hand, I want them to feel a sense of accomplishment. If I know that I the instructor is going to allow me to submit all of my work on the last day of class, how can I feel good about that accomplishment? I hate the word, but "standards" have to be in place, and they have to mean something. Does that include the student's responsibility? Can we make a system that would allow us to know when a student is playing the system and when a student is actually going through a rough patch that we can help him or her through?
For instance, recently, I submitted an assignment on day late. Thankfully, I had a very understanding professor who recognized my typical work habits and did not dock me for being late. However, with most of my students, I have no such knowledge. I even heard of one student several years ago who faked cancer to get the professor to allow him to submit late work. So, if there were a system that would allow us to keep track of a student's habits, that would make those decisions easier. Of course, it might also be a FERPA violation, too.
Loren, i agree. Many times, instutions become obsessed with retention and in doing so sacrfice their programs and what the students can truly reach and accomplish.
Tara,
That exact thought crossed my mind too as I went through this module. It made me take inventory of my resources and strategies for managing stress and how I "counsel" students on stress management strategies. I feel the best ally I have at our organization is the Student Services Coordinator. If I have a student who is struggling I can consult their "mentor" who has been advising them throughout the program. I feel having a dedicated person helps bridge the gap for our students. We are very lucky to have this resource.
Retention is important but as you imply, anything taken to extremes can be bad - particularly if it becomes punitive.
A culture that has the right focus on supportive practices will be a positive one - with positive retention results. Some of the horror stories being reported in the media suggest a culture where "retention" was more important than mastery of skills.
I absolutely agree, but sometimes there are other factors that come into play. For instance, at another school where I worked, retention was the basis for everything from salary to maintaining employment. It made for an environment that focused more on keeping students in class rather than ensuring that they had learned the required material.
Most online schools have retention as a part of their employment records, but it is not the one factor that can make or break an instructor. And as an adjunct, fighting the system usually only leads to one's termination.
Tara
Responsibility of learning is absolutely the students'. Your demonstrating subject knowledge won't help them in the job market. You should/must establish standards that satisfy you that the student has mastered the course competencies.
Talking with other faculty members may also be useful in understanding how others have handled the issues you raise.
