Informing students starts from the very beginning of the class in the syllabus. Students are provided a rubric on grading and have full knowledge of how they are going to be evaluated. As students progress through lectures, pre-tests, quizes and discussions provide a two-way communication to the instructer and the student. Always taking an open commuicaive stance helps students discuss needs if their preformance wavers.
Reece,
Yeah, that one on one is cool. I like to convey my interest in the students success, and that we are both working towards the same goal. Support and encouragement with a dose of kindness never hurts, and may help build trust and respect.
Barry Westling
It has always been my professional and personal experience that students want immediate feedback of their status in the course and what is expected of them. I always grade exams and course work immediately and give feedback on their papers when they are doing good and when they need to rethink an idea.
I believe as a professional it is my responsibility to give immediate feedback to reduce potential crisis and curtail any anxiety on the part of the student.
Rosalyn,
The feedback received by students from their instructor is nearly as important as the instruction itself. Students want direction, and for me, personal communication with students is more beneficial than mere electronic grade posts or written emails. I like to establish rapport, and perhaps build trust.
Barry Westling
I feel that an important reason for keeping the students informed of their status is to make sure they do not fall behind on classwork and to prevent them from failing the course.
Donna,
Very true. We'd like our students to be responsible (and accountable), but many times they are not. Sharing grade information also provides a way to offer our advice, encouragement, and instill hope for successful completion.
Barry Westling
Students need feedback on their performance, be in on a test or a lab activity. We use iPads and electronic gradebooks. The student sees their grade immediately.
Bonnie,
Electronic grading is great, but even so, personal communication allows us to convey confidence, sincerity, and kindness - attributes that help suggest the instructor cares and interested in the success of their students.
Barry Westling
A student should never be surprised by their grade at the end of the course. If the instructor doesn't provide timely feedback then those surprises are likely. Getting immediate feedback will help the student and the instructor modify their studying and teaching techniques to increase success. In addition, students can learn from their mistakes.
Students have to be aware of how they are doing, so that they will have a chance to turn things around, if needed. A student who is doing poorly has many opportunities available to them, from seeking tutoring or instructor help, to simply dedicating more time to the course and working harder. A student who doesn't know they are doing poorly is not going to do anything to improve, and a poor/failing grade at the end of the quarter is going to come as a nasty surprise to them. Even students who are doing well need the same clear understanding of their progress, as it encourages them to keep doing what they are doing.
Keeping students informed of their status is important for multiple reasons. The first being so that they can somewhat gauge how successful (or not) they are with the course. This also helps show that you care about their success as well. Sometimes seeing a good grade is like a reward for their hard work or a low grade might incite more motivation to do better.
Andrea,
Right. Feedback is essential, and the sooner the better so as to provide ample time for students to make corrections.
Barry Westling
Jennifer,
Yeah, being able to provide individual feedback on a personal basis can be very meaningful for students. Sometimes, it's just that little bit of encouragement that makes a difference, and the support creates a greater desire to do better.
Barry Westling
Andrea,
Support and kind words of advice can be very meaningful to students, enough to create a whole change in the students focus and study efforts.
Barry Westling
It is important to keep students in the loop in how they are performing in the course for many reasons. The most urgent is usually made from the student: he or she wants to know the level of success in the course. It is a human impulse to gauge how well one is doing in a given situation, and a student in need of knowing what letter in the alphabet their grade will be is the supreme example of such an impulse. I try to stay as current and up-to-date in my grading to assuage any of these anxieties with my students. However, this system of punctuality is also beneficial for me as an instructor. By keeping grades current, I can assess how well I am doing in conveying information for students to develop their critical thinking skills. This dialogue provides a healthy ecosystem in the classroom where the students being evaluated in turn affect what new accommodations I need to make as an instructor.
Michael,
Keeping students informed is nearly as important as the instruction itself, as it provides a sort of compass whether the student is on right track or not.
Barry Westling
I keep a spreadsheet of the class items that can be scored on.
These items can be Exams, LABs, home work, Participation in class, and Pre-Post Test.
Keeping the student informed is important because it will keep them more focused on the classroom material and not in just the grade. In my experience, the students will get the exam score less than a second after they finish with the exam. The reason this happens is that I created the exam program I use to test the student. This program will randomize a number of questions and randomize the answers being displayed. (This is a multiple choice exams).
its important to let them know hoe they are doing in the class so its not a shock what grade they earned. There they can apply themselves more.
Students need to know where they stand all the time. It gives them confidence when they are doing well in a class. It will also motivate them when they are not doing so well. I never put grade into the computer until the students have had the chance to see there exam and I also don't give exams back until the last half an hour of class.
