I talked today about “Why Teachers Should Blog,” and after I was done, I was answering questions.
One question made me pause.
What was an example of something I’d changed based on student input?
I KNOW there have been things I’ve changed because of student input, but at that moment, the only answer I could come up with was kind of lame.
Ten minutes later, back in my vehicle and heading to my next class, I thought of an answer that occurred recently. I wish I would have remembered it earlier. And, I know there are OTHER answers but some of them occurred a while ago when teaching went from “theory” to “reality” and what I thought in theory would work in reality only to discover I was wrong.
The big change has to do with how students in my face-to-face class turn in assignments.
Originally, I had students turn in hard copies of papers. I will tell you that grading hard copies is probably the easiest for me, but at some point in the process, my handwriting becomes very difficult to read. I start to use strange abbreviations and chicken scratch. Brave students will ask me what something says (and I DO encourage this), but I know some students leave wondering, or leave thinking something that isn’t true, because of my horrible handwriting.
PRINTING PROBLEMS
More and more students were having technical (printer) issues that were preventing them from turning in papers.
One reason for the increase in problems was that the university where I teach changed a major policy. Students used to be able to print things using the dorm printer any time for free. The policy changed, and students were left trying to figure out how to print assignments or failing to turn in assignments because they didn’t have a printer.
Even before the policy change, the ownership of a printer or the lack of ink or a failure of a printer often interfered with students turning in work. Students also had difficulty finding staplers.
Policies about Turning in Papers
Some teachers handled this with a strict policy: Papers must be typed, printed and stapled BEFORE coming to class. Other teachers (me) required typed and printed papers but usually carried around a tiny stapler for students to use.
I also frequently taught students how to make a paper stapler that requires some folding and ripping but creates a staple-like adhesion that lasted, which a simple “fold the corner” move doesn’t do.
Should students suffer because they lack technological equipment? In this economy, is it reasonable to assume students have access to printers or money for printing?
I remember being a student and needing to print something two days before my payday when I didn’t have money to print it at Kinko’s. Plus, with course management systems, printing wasn’t necessary.
So I switched to online submissions. Three advantages:
- 1)Students don’t have to print their assignments
- Students can read my comments.
- When I teach a portfolio class, students have access to all of their various drafts because the essay was submitted online as a rough draft and as a final draft. My feedback is also readily accessible online. This is helpful for students who might lose early drafts that would have worked nicely in their portfolio.
- Note to Self: Write post about rigid rules that impact student performance more than student performance does….
