Feb 19 2009
Those drafts are rough, man
My online students are required to submit a rough draft of their research paper this week so they can exchange drafts and do peer reviews. I’m not a fond of peer reviews, dating back to my own days in high school and college, but it’s required by the college for this course, so we must perservere.
At any rate, late rough drafts turn the peer review into a circus. The drafts are due Wednesday, the exchange takes place on Thursday, and the reviews have to be done by Sunday. This does not leave much room for error. If someone does not submit a draft on Wednesday, I can’t put them in the exchange on Thursday, which means they miss out on the points for the assignment due Sunday. Much whining ensues.
To avoid as much as possible, I posted a very emphatic reminder on Sunday, telling my students that they should make every effort to turn in the draft on time, or risk not being able to participate in the exchange. I asked all the students to reply to the message and acknowledge that they understood.
Today–the day after the drafts were due–a student responds in a different thread that she does not understand. No surprise there–I’m not sure this particular student has understood anything in the seven weeks of this class so far. Now, it’s very likely too late to do anything about her lack of understanding, either for this assignment or anything else in the course.
Of course, this will all be my fault when she predictably fails the assignment (which she has not yet submitted) and the course. I may not be psychic, but I’m fairly confident in that prediction!
I have to laugh because a friend of mine has had students like your misunderstanding one. Funny, I would love to teach on a college level, but I think I am a bit too blunt for the ones who don’t get it.