My experience is closer to Chris'. I have a set of assignments
that are voluntary. I don't take them up or grade them. The
assignments are to help students identify whether they understand
some topic. I have been pleasantly encouraged by the number of
students (both strong and weak) who bring the completed
assignments to my office to verify accuracy.
Of course, the fact that there is an obvious connection between
information asked about on the self-study assignments and the
questions that appear on the test encourages "voluntary"
participation :-)
Ken
Christopher D. Green wrote:
Jim Clark wrote:
One year I decided to make the assignments voluntary (I
can't remember why although I am now being taken to task for
using too many TA hours for the course, and this might have
been the case earlier as well ... much of TA time is spent
marking assignments). Guess what? Completion of
assignments dropped off precipitously! My conclusion, even
strong, well-motivated students have difficulty working hard
when there is NO direct consequence with respect to grades.
I can only imagine what the situation would be for weaker,
less motivated students.
It is interesting that you say that. My experience has been
somewhat different. I have never marked the weekly assignments
in my stats course, mainly because there isn't sufficient
teaching assistance to do so given my class size, but also
because I think it gives students an opportunity to do some
guided work without every mistake they make ending up in their
final grade. Instead, I have the teaching assistant simply go
over the assignment at the start of the next class. I cannot
tell you what proportion of them do the assignments (though
nearly all of them turn up to hear the TA each week). Their
"motivation" is mainly that I tell them that the four tests
throughout the year will prove rather difficult unless they
have had the practice of the assignments (at a minimum). Those
who don't believe me often get a shock when their first
midterm test arrives and usually change their behavior. (And
what of those few who are able to navigate my tests without
taking the assignments seriously? More power to them.)
Regards, Chris --
Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada
416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [email protected]
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
==========================
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Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected]
Professor and Assistant Chairperson
Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA
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