No matter how much of
an effort an instructor makes to deliver a quality assessment to a student, the
feedback is of no use if the student does not read it. This is one of the more
problematic issues in the feedback process to students, actually bringing
learning to a complete stop for the individual because of a poor study habit.
To address the issue, instructors can go one-to-one with students, but this can
be time-consuming and exhaust resources. More to the point, the student may
never make any progress simply because he or she has not taken the time to
review the feedback the instructor has presented.
In teaching writing to
students I have sometimes seen them toss evaluations into the trash rather than
read them. Although not often has it happened, thank goodness, I have at times
seen the essays and the accompanying feedback in the trash can nearest to my
office, delivered just a few minutes back to the student in a conference. Once,
a frustrated student threw a tantrum in front of me and then threw the essay
into my own office trash can. Obviously, we did not see much improvement in the
next essay assignment. I do what I can to help students not lose face, but
sometimes a moment can be too overwhelming for them. By the way, if I see the
assessment in the trash, I will pull it out, hoping the student will return for
it once the moment fades.
While we can always
improve our people skills with our students, I want here to offer one possible
way to avoid the temper tantrums and perhaps even help those students who fail
to read the assessments take the time to study the teacher’s comments. Perhaps
too the students will realize the teacher is trying to help, not hinder, them.
What can be useful, I think, is a pre-conference set of notes to the student.
That is, signaling to the student that it is a good idea to make an appointment
with the instructor over issues listed in the evaluation ahead of the actual
conference seems a good idea.
A few years ago I saw a
story where Purdue University had created what I call a “Stoplight Project” with
color-coded messages to help lead students to success. The Purdue Signals Project mines
data and includes color within the messages, using the metaphor of the
stoplight – green to go, yellow for caution, and red to stop. The red stop sign
also signals to students they need to schedule an appointment with the
instructor. One of the elements I like very much about this system is that onus
is placed upon the student to make the appointment, to take action. In addition,
the student is already coming to the instructor for help with clarity about
what will be discussed, and the “shock” of realizing an assignment or test is
not up to standards is not delivered for the first time in the teacher-student
conference.
Although the algorithms
that Purdue University uses is not readily available to all educators, we
non-Boilermaker faculty do have a few options. Taking my cues from the Signals Project (pun intended), I have included a variation
upon the theme. Having seen value in the Purdue system, I have downloaded free
clip art from the Microsoft collection. I actually discovered a green
go sign and now include this in the assessment report to students for those
essays I have evaluated as an A- or better. I also have downloaded a red
stop sign and a yellow
caution sign. Red is reserved for grades of D and F while yellow signals a
grade of a B or C. If a student receives a red stop sign, a note to immediately
make an appointment with the instructor is included, along with the reason for
the conference request.
Other options are
available at the free clip art service through Microsoft, as well as other online
websites. The examples provided are what I use and are presented for
consideration. In addition, I recommend not printing each color-coded
assessment as this can become expensive. This should not be a problem, though,
if delivered online to students.
While the color-coded
system started as a way to signal to those students who need help, I also soon
realized it was also helpful in moving students who do not need the help more
quickly through the courses. I now allow the advanced students more options to
work at their own pace. Some students have thus finished the course earlier
than the final deadline, allowing me as an instructor more time to work with
those students who need additional help.
In addition to delivering
to students issues that need to be addressed, the color-coded signals also have
helped me to improve my courses. For example, I recently have created a review
unit that is not scored. This review unit highlights aspects of the essay where
some of my writing students need more than others. It is focused mainly on the
structure of the essay, including such topics as the introduction, thesis,
conclusion, main body paragraph development, transition placement, and so on.
The course discusses these elements as the units move forward. Now what I
realized was missing in the past was one place where all of the basic elements
of the essay could be housed. Thus, I can now send students to one unit where
all of the basic issues of the essay are addressed. For example, many of the
students have problems writing paragraphs. Now it is much easier to instruct
them about the paragraph and also offer how this element fits into the essay as
a part of the whole.
Given the success of
the color-coded signals, I also have begun to include the colors on the rubrics
I use to evaluate student work. For the essay rubrics, I start with green already
highlighted as part of the scoring to save a few keyboard clicks. Yes, I am
also an optimist. When necessary I then remove the green and use the
corresponding yellow or red colors. I have only just started using the color
codes on the rubrics, so I do not have much data to review in order to relate
the effectiveness of the practice. I am here assuming that bringing into
alignment the rubrics with the colors of the traffic signs sets up a mental
reminder, nudging students to read the assessment more in-depth, keeping them
out of the trash can, including the digital ones. In addition, the colors may
perhaps at least flash before the students’ eyes even if they are in the
process of tossing the evaluations, or in the case of online students merely
only opening the assessment for a moment. I am doing what I can to grab the
attention of the student who will only give moments to the feedback effort.
Perhaps using color will help students to make better connections for
improvement.
