“Do the Work On Time”: Help students keep on track with coursework by establishing clear expectations, deadlines, and consequences, while offering support.
This week’s “Be a Strong Student” message to students asks them to do the work on time. Here are some strategies instructors can implement to help support their efforts:
Have a clear late work policy
- Balance compassion with high expectations:
- Send the message “extensions on deadlines are for exceptional circumstances” recognizing that there may be special circumstances warranting extensions.
- Make clear that submitting work late impedes learning; some students have become habituated to soft deadlines and don’t understand their effect on learning.
- Encourage students to complete their work by deducting points — but be careful to not overdo it and have students fail classes unnecessarily.
- Use Canvas’s “missing submission policy” to set Canvas to post a default grade at a defined time.
- Be clear about make-up classwork: establish whether and how students can make up missed classwork.
Offer clear assignments
- Provide students with clear assignments (see template and other tips).
- Scaffold major assignments, helping students to work on the assignment in pieces rather than rushing to complete them all at the very last minute.
- Provide rubrics: rubrics help students understand expectations and requirements (and help instructors grade).
Encourage and support students
- Remind students of options for help, including student/office hours, CAST, the CWE, and Sprague librarians.
- Offer clear, timely, and actionable feedback; returning assignments within two weeks, for example. See tips on planning for grading.
- Encourage students to regularly check the Canvas gradebook to gain an accurate idea of their grade.
- Encourage them to complete a time management activity. See these examples provided by CAST:
Time Management Activity(opens as PDF)
Time Management Handouts(opens as PDF)
For more information or help, please email the Office for Faculty Excellence or make an appointment with a consultant.
Last Modified: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 5:52 pm
CK
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