Christopher Brown

OK. Here is an honest question. I know that it may not be the popular one, but I have never shied away from them. What if you're teaching a trade that requires the use of a ladder and a student is in a wheelchair or has a terrifying and debilitating fear of heights? Should they be counseled out of the course? I have had students who literally said in class that they will get violent if they hear someone talk in a certain tone. Is someone like that ready for a course or employment that involves dealing with different people… >>>

I want people to be aware that not everyone who is having a difficulty is IMMEDIATELY supposed to be categorized as having a disability. Sometimes people struggle with certain portions, but it isn't always an indicator of a condition. It could be that they are not good at math and didn't expect so much math in a course or that they are having a tough day/week/month. Anyway, I just wanted to caution against blind diagnosis or assumptions.

They seem to be in place to eva;uate the effectiveness of the assessment tools. This way they can determine if the items being measured are really what are important to an assignment.

Having clear specifications on the rubric and reduce the number of confused students because you can tell them exactly what happened and why their grade is what it is. 

Issues when using rubrics can arise from them either not being developed correctly or not being explained correctly. If you can't look at it and see exactly what is expected, then it is ineffective and can cause more harm than good. I do have projects that are Pass/Fail (either it all works or it doesn't work) because that is more indicative of the real life application of the material, but I also use rubrics for evaluating projects where it can be broken down into clear parts.

Rubrics not only allow the students to know exactly how an assessment will be graded, but it can also provide them with a structure for completing a task.

As long as they are active and engaged, the students should be able to thrive in the online environment. The difficulty is bringing up the motivation level for those that do not want to engage.

Technical skills may also be limited by the devices provided. I have had students who cannot do assignments because of them using the iPad instead of a desktop or laptop. In fact, I have parts of an entire class that CANNOT be completed on the iPad. These instances have been brought up multiple times and still the devices are being given. Some may say to tell the students to use their own PCs, but I have had students who do not have them and are then stuck. They have to hunt and find a PC or schedule time away from… >>>

Communication and motivation are the two main non-technical skills that should be encouraged. Communication not just with instructors but with other students and understanding that they are a part of this community. Create that sense of doing things together and it will make them more motivated to come to classes.

Time management seems to be the big issue these days along with a lack of self-motivation. Students see this, especially in the summer, as a large block of free time and may tend to take more leisurely activities instead of schoolwork. Granted, not all, but some. It was asked many times of me that if they just do the discussions does that count as attendance. I had to tell them that I require attendance to the online sessions because we discuss a wide variety of topics related to the material that may not show up in discussions. I have had… >>>