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Student did not show up for presentation

Started by MProust, October 19, 2019, 09:57:00 AM

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Antiphon1

What is your late policy?  Late is late no matter the measurement.  Any grade appeal will hing on the application of the late policy. 

I'd set an alternate date and make clear in writing the grade penalties assessed.  If you don't at least try to make an accomodation, the student could claim extenuating circumstances.  The other choice might be dropping the grade for the presentation and moving on.  This student may be moving toward flaming out.  If you think this is the case you could refer this student to the appropriate office for further counseling. 

Good luck.  Flaky students are exasperating.

downer

Regarding those students who flake because they are scared of public speaking.

I've started letting students present a video with them narrating slides. So they don't have to talk to the class. I do like there to be some way for them to respond to questions even if they don't speak. It all requires a rather different skill set than standing in front of a class and talking live, but I think the skills are still useful. Maybe 10% of the students take this option.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

writingprof

OP,

Let him make it up.  Convince him that you're his biggest fan until he asks you for a letter of recommendation.  In that letter, destroy him.  This is literally the only way you will ever get justice.

-Writingprof

mamselle

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

Reprove not a scorner, lest they hate thee: rebuke the wise, and they will love thee.

Give instruction to the wise, and they will be yet wiser: teach the just, and they will increase in learning.

bopper

Tell him to send the presentation (slides/research) he has prepared, and you will grade him on what is sent for content.
But you will  him reschedule to do the actual presentation.

writingprof

Quote from: bopper on October 21, 2019, 06:46:10 AM
Tell him to send the presentation (slides/research) he has prepared, and you will grade him on what is sent for content.
But you will  him reschedule to do the actual presentation.

This is an excellent idea.  But the student will inevitably say, "I was going to 'finish' it today but got sick."  There's simply no way out of this for the OP but to give in completely or call bull&%$#.

ciao_yall

Quote from: writingprof on October 21, 2019, 08:52:50 AM
Quote from: bopper on October 21, 2019, 06:46:10 AM
Tell him to send the presentation (slides/research) he has prepared, and you will grade him on what is sent for content.
But you will  him reschedule to do the actual presentation.

This is an excellent idea.  But the student will inevitably say, "I was going to 'finish' it today but got sick."  There's simply no way out of this for the OP but to give in completely or call bull&%$#.

You can tell if the preso had any chance in heck of being ready, based on what they submit.

the_geneticist

Quote from: ciao_yall on October 21, 2019, 09:11:40 AM
Quote from: writingprof on October 21, 2019, 08:52:50 AM
Quote from: bopper on October 21, 2019, 06:46:10 AM
Tell him to send the presentation (slides/research) he has prepared, and you will grade him on what is sent for content.
But you will  him reschedule to do the actual presentation.

This is an excellent idea.  But the student will inevitably say, "I was going to 'finish' it today but got sick."  There's simply no way out of this for the OP but to give in completely or call bull&%$#.

You can tell if the preso had any chance in heck of being ready, based on what they submit.

I'm a fan of the "send me your slides" as well.  A student who was basically ready and got puking sick will have a finished or nearly finished presentation.
You could also have them present to you in your office.

downer

"Send me your slides" encourages students to put all their info on their slides.

You don't want that. Slides should have a few prompts and useful or pretty pictures.

The info should be presented orally in a presentation.

Maybe if the student has notes or a paper that goes along with the slides, some grade would be assignable. But then you are basically grading the notes, with some portion for the slides.

The central skill of an oral presentation -- speaking to people -- is not assessed.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."—Sinclair Lewis

Antiphon1

Quote from: downer on October 21, 2019, 11:00:37 AM
The central skill of an oral presentation -- speaking to people -- is not assessed.

This. 

Here's where a rubric is helpful.  Most standard grading rubrics for oral presentations weight the oral components of the presentation at 65-75% of the grade.  Turning in the notes with out performing the speech is part, but a minor part, of the final presentation.  You can't assess presentation using the student's preparation and intentions. 

Golazo

I'm also on the side of letting students make things up. If it was going to be bad, it will still be bad later, too.

Aster

You stated that you had an opening in the course schedule for the student to do the makeup work.

I would recommend using it.

I would also recommend devising a formal syllabus policy for what students can and cannot make up (for each assessment type).

Kron3007

Quote from: writingprof on October 20, 2019, 06:23:19 PM
OP,

Let him make it up.  Convince him that you're his biggest fan until he asks you for a letter of recommendation.  In that letter, destroy him.  This is literally the only way you will ever get justice.

-Writingprof

I hope you are not serious.  I dont think you should put anything in a letter of reference that you would not say to someone's face, and definitely shouldn't give people a false sense of support only to screw them in secret.

Act like a grown up and deal with the issue, whether that is giving them a zero, allowing them to do it with a penalty, or just letting them reschedule. 

   

Descartes

These types of situations always lead me to conclude that NOT allowing them to simply make it up takes way too much energy and trouble (evidenced by the entire conversation of this thread).

Reschedule him and call it a day.  If he's that flaky he won't make the rescheduled on either and then you give him a 0.

Aster

Quote from: Descartes on October 22, 2019, 07:13:38 AM
These types of situations always lead me to conclude that NOT allowing them to simply make it up takes way too much energy and trouble (evidenced by the entire conversation of this thread).

Reschedule him and call it a day.  If he's that flaky he won't make the rescheduled on either and then you give him a 0.

+1 Amen to That