Distance learning and 2020: we began the year thinking, “This is going to be a great online teaching year”—but the pandemic changed that, in a major way. Distance learning has come a long way: although learning from a distance got its start in the late 18th century, distance learning as we know it—using computers—began in the 1980s, and the pandemic has brought it to a new peak. I mention this brief bit of history because the basic challenges of online learning remain: how to increase student engagement, how to improve timely submission of assignments, how to use all resources made available for the students. But there also is a flip side, that is, problems and queries distance learning educators have that are new, unique, or need additional input. I look forward to helping you in all areas, and welcome your questions in this special year! Please send your queries to me at: erroldistancelearning@gmail.com)
To kick-off 2020’s “Ask Errol,” I have two questions: the first I have been receiving more frequently because of the increased use of distance learning in the corporate world, and the second because I’ve had quite a few inquiries relating to end-of-course and missing assignments:
Using School Distance Learning Programs in the Corporate World
Errol, I have been teaching as an adjunct through distance learning for about 8 years, and this has been at two different schools; it has been most rewarding as a part-time gig! But an interesting possibility has presented itself, and I’m a bit at odds as to what to do. The company at which I’m employed—this is my full-time job—recently announced it will be introducing online training courses in 2020, and because of my experience in teaching online I was asked to head up the project. This is exciting, of course, and immediately I looked at what I’m now doing at my school and realized much of it could easily be transferred over to my corporate project. My quandary is this: are there any set rules of what I can and cannot use from my current teaching position? Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.
It’s no secret that some of the best online programs in corporate America have had input from folks who have expertise teaching through distance learning in academia. Most simply use their experience, insight, and input (from supervisors, for example) in creating corporate distance learning programs. However, some schools have created their own distance learning programs; this is called proprietary, meaning the schools legally own the programs they created related to distance learning. Additionally, there are other programs, such as Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas, that were not created by a school but rather belong to a corporate entity, and the school pays for the right to use these. In both instances, the framework cannot be simply duplicated somewhere else; if it is done, the results can be lawsuits and you perhaps being terminated. My suggestion is what I mentioned above: use your online teaching experience, the insight you’ve gained from this, and any suggestions you’ve received along the way to create a corporate distance learning program that can be unique in that its structure is built around your company, and it has the huge benefit of all you know
How Best to Handle Students Turning in Assignments After a Course Has Ended
First, my thanks to you for the many columns you have written, Errol. Many online faculty who also teach in my school mention your columns (we teach hybrid courses, so are located in a ground campus and have regular face-to-face meetings), and the consensus is they have made us better distance learning educators.
Of course, I’m not writing to simply tell you how much we appreciate your suggestions. In a recent get-together of the educators teaching hybrid in my department— Science—we found ourselves in a hot debate about a subject that has bothered us for some time. I told the group I’d drop you a line to see if you have any suggestions.
Our problem is one I’m sure many other online educators have encountered: how to respond to students who turn in missing assignments once a course has ended. At our school, the syllabus is preset, but the only verbiage states the date on which the course ends. And once a course ends, we have approximately 10 days in which to post the final grades for the students. Some in our group believe the end of the course means simply that—no more assignments may be submitted after the course has ended; yet others feel there is “wiggle room,” depending on why the student has not turned in assignments. Help!
First, I want to thank you for the kind words—and please pass this on to your group! Once my columns are published, it’s only when I receive feedback such as yours that I know I’m being helpful—and that, certainly, is important to me.
As to your question, the answer is a complex one, and it depends on the school and the students.
Schools. Three items enter into this discussion: (1) Some schools are far more rigid than your, and only allow for submissions after a course has ended if a natural disaster has gotten in the way (and the school lets you know it’s okay to accept late submissions) or if a student has a legitimate excuse (illness, death in the family, loss of internet, for example), and backed up by documentation to prove the event (and these schools will have set protocol as how this is to be handled). And even with a school such as yours, that appears to leave more of these decisions to the faculty, do a double-check to make sure certain protocol relating to this does not exist, such as a faculty handbook or asking your supervisor. (2) In nearly all schools, once a course has ended, students cannot backtrack to post on missing Discussions. The reason is a simple one: each week the online discussion occurs, that discussion is live. If a student posts after that week or unit has ended, it is no longer part of a live discussion. Based on what you have told me, this is a decision your faculty needs to make. (3) Check on your school’s guidelines for giving an incomplete. If you are in the second-last or last week of a course and a student is missing some assignments, they may be eligible for an incomplete. (Generally, schools require a student to have completed 60% of the assignments to be eligible for an incomplete, and the request must come from the student, but check to be sure of the guidelines for yours.)
Students. The overriding factor here is communication from the student to you— silence from a student may indicate a lack of interest in completing the assignments. However, this cannot be used as a blanket factor; there are reasons why a student may not be able to communicate, such as illness, loss of internet, or overwhelming death in a family. You must do two items in the area of communication: reach out to the student (by whatever means you can do outreach), and more than once (you want to do everything you can to have the student communicate—and you want a trail that shows your effort). Also contact the student’s advisor, explaining the situation, asking for any input he or she can provide, and for help in getting the student to submit the missing assignments.
With the type of leeway you’ve explained to me your school gives you, step back a moment and weigh what is really important: being hard-nosed or letting a student submit some late work and then basing the final grade on all assignments. And remember this—if you are rigid, that is, no assignments after the last day of class, the student may appeal the final grade, and this has the possibility of traveling up to the provost. Do you really want that?
Remember : Red, blue, and yellow reached out to one another for help, and the result was some nice births: orange, purple, and green!
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