I have found a challenge with the "text" rules--spelling as well as punctuation. I have made it very clear to students at the beginning that my expectation is professional writing so that when a student uses something other than professional writing, I take away points. It is important for students to learn the difference and use the writing that is appropriate for the situation.
Thanks for your comments Susan!
I think it all comes back to time! Students, especially online, want to get things completed in a hurry.
I try to encourage doing little bits here and there....then making sure the final product is in by the due date. If you only have 15 minutes tonight-- use that, then go back and do another 15 minutes the next day. This trumps trying to bang out an entry full of problems in the last hour before the due date.
I think it is key to do as you said, and make it clear from the beginning that professional is the expectation, and also to include real-world examples of why this is so. Some students may erroneously think that because they type a certain way on the computer in other formats that that's just the way it's always done. We should accept nothing less than a potential employer would expect.
Time management can be an issue for students, and online students are no different. Many of my students wait until the day a project or assignment is due to actually start working on it. Of course, I can recall many times doing the exact thing as a college student!
I agree that continually demonstrating to students the expectations of an employer is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it with the class Adele.
This is a constant struggle. I also see so many students using texting and IM abbreviations in the discussion areas.
I usually try to send a general email to all students at the start of the term reminding them that this is a professional discussion and is part of their grade.
I have also found it helpful to point out the differences from texting and chatting.
I agree that students using texting and IM abbreviations can be a problem in the discussions. Setting the expectation the first week of class that this is not acceptable is very important, as you suggest Jo Ann. It is also important, when a student does slip, to point it out and deduct points as necessary so that they will learn. Thanks for your comments Jo Ann.
This is a tough issue as I see poor grammar and punctuation routinely. I do give the Grading rubric in the Syllabus, and I state in the first week that the expectation is to display college level writing.
One thing I will do is proofread their entire paper, highlight passages and put in red ink where changes were needed and then send as an attachment. It can take extra time but it seems to work. Students usually see all of these markings and it alerts them to making some improvements. I will also send them to the Writing Center for specific help and rules to master.
