I began a new summer-term online class on Monday. Regular deadlines for the class fall on Monday and Thursday, and there was one task due on Monday: introduce yourself on the Discussion Board by answering a series of easy (I think) questions: where did you grow up and what are you up to these days?, what's your major (crucial for group formation)?, what might you do/are you doing in/with that field?, what do you think are you major strengths and weaknesses as a writer? Nothing complicated, and students can email me directly with the answers to any questions they don't want to answer in a public forum. Like all Discussion Board posts, this one earns participation credit (and it should be a lot easier and quicker to complete than most posts worth the same number of points).
So now it's Thursday. I sent a whole-class thank-you for the introductions I'd received (and reminder to complete the introduction if they hadn't yet done so) early Tuesday morning, and I'm about to send another reminder, about the reading and a couple of self-tests due today, and about the introductions. Because, while 75% of the students currently enrolled in the class have completed the assignment (some considerably more thoroughly than others, but good enough; I only had to email one student to ask "thanks for the other information, but what is your major?"), 25% have not.
So now it's Thursday. I sent a whole-class thank-you for the introductions I'd received (and reminder to complete the introduction if they hadn't yet done so) early Tuesday morning, and I'm about to send another reminder, about the reading and a couple of self-tests due today, and about the introductions. Because, while 75% of the students currently enrolled in the class have completed the assignment (some considerably more thoroughly than others, but good enough; I only had to email one student to ask "thanks for the other information, but what is your major?"), 25% have not.
And I'm left wondering:
Q. What are they waiting for?
Please offer your hypotheses -- plausible, implausible, or anywhere in between -- in the comments below.
Q. What are they waiting for?
Please offer your hypotheses -- plausible, implausible, or anywhere in between -- in the comments below.
Based on my students here at Ambitious State: Many students believe that online courses (especially summer courses) mean--work at your own pace because online courses are designed around YOUR schedule. So deadlines, assignments, etc are suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI can hear my students... I will get to that by Sunday. I nave work, and Friday that party, then Nana's thing on Saturday, so yeah!
Exactly this.
DeleteTPP has the crux of the issue, but there's a facet missing from this explanation. And here it is:
ReplyDeleteWhile their pocket vibrates the second one of their stupid friends posts the 14th stupid variation of kitten-with-absurdly-exaggerated-fuck-me-eyes filtered selfie on FaceSnap, they act like they can't get institutional e-mail on their phone because it's rocket science to do so. I'm middle aged and used a flip phone until 2 years ago. I got my work e-mail (from all FOUR places where I was an adjunct) without a problem. If you press them on that, the answer will involve a claim that "they" told them something. If you press them to identify who "they" are, the will change tack.
It's true that they don't get institutional e-mail on their phones, but not due to the challenge of making such an arrangement. It's by design.
So, as TPP suggests, they don't realize that there will be due dates, AND they haven't gotten your e-mails.
In my case, they get the emails but they just don't bother to read them. Sometimes, I'll get a sheepish note, saying something like "I accidentally deleted your email - can you resend it?" And some students view deadlines (and everything else) as a basis for negotiation.
ReplyDelete