Counting a Quiz as a Major Test Grade! Students Not Reading

[HigherEd7]

Has anyone just came in and gave a quiz, and told your students this would count as a major test grade to get students to read before class starts?

[Parasaurolophus]

Not out of the blue, no. That would be unfair.

But as a pre-determined component of their grade? Sure, I've done that before. The trouble is that it makes for a lot of marking.

[RatGuy]

No, and I think that'd be bad pedagogically.

Some students don't read, or do homework, or complete most tasks. Sometimes "some" is "a lot" or even "most." There are more effective ways to motivate them. You might try doing a post-midterm survey, asking them to evaluate their own work ethic in the course. Sometimes they've got NO CLUE that they're failing, or that their failure is a result of not doing any work. Sometimes some meta assignments can make them aware and (re)evaluate what they're doing in class.

[the_geneticist]

Nope, and if it's not in the syllabus, then it's solid grounds for a grade appeal by the students.

There are lots of ways to get students to read before class.  I've used quizzes, online assignments, "write a summary", outlines, etc.  I prefer to assign points for completion so it's easier to grade.  And make darn sure that you structure the first discussion so they have to read the materials.  I have a colleague who assigns readings, lists "reflection questions", and then doesn't bother to refer to the reading at all during the class discussion/activity time.  Students quickly learn that they don't need to bother to read since they can still participate and do fine.

[Hegemony]

A syllabus is a contract, and you can't change the weighting after you've begun, unless there was a mistake the first time around.

If they're not doing the reading, there are multiple strategies. Design quizzes so they can't pass them unless they've done the reading.  Call on them in class: "James, why don't you summarize this article for us? No? We're going to rely on you next time for that. How about Emily?" Then next time you make sure to call on James.

If a whole group of them hasn't done the reading, send them out in the hall to do it right then.

Make it clear that they cannot pass any of the assignments without doing the reading (because of the design of the assignments).

[HigherEd7]

Thanks for the responses and the ideas!

[mamselle]

A syllabus is a contract, and you can't change the weighting after you've begun, unless there was a mistake the first time around.

If they're not doing the reading, there are multiple strategies. Design quizzes so they can't pass them unless they've done the reading.  Call on them in class: "James, why don't you summarize this article for us? No? We're going to rely on you next time for that. How about Emily?" Then next time you make sure to call on James.

If a whole group of them hasn't done the reading, send them out in the hall to do it right then.

Make it clear that they cannot pass any of the assignments without doing the reading (because of the design of the assignments).

Right on! I would have loved to have been one of your students!!

It was so boring when only one or two of us had done any work and had things to say in class....

M.

[HigherEd7]

This is what I am dealing with now. I had a student tell me she was teased by other students because she has been participating in class, so she has stopped. Well she was one of the only ones asking questions and responding. I told her not to stop and to get back on track.

[Golazo]

I include "cold call" days in some of my classes. On these days students are graded on their ability to answer questions about the reading for the last few class sessions--"James, what is the inciting event of Canticle for Leibowitz" "Luisa, how does the post apocalyptic society of Hunger Games differ from that of Canticle" etc...

This has worked reasonable well for at least making sure everyone is caught up every time I do a cold call.

[marshwiggle]

It occurred to me that this is basically a form of the flipped classroom which has been around for a long time. Would it help if students were given prompt questions with the readings?

For instance,
"Read pages 100 -150

Some of the questions we'll be talk about are:
Were Hamlet's qualms primarily moral or pragmatic?
Did he have options that weren't considered?"


(Since this isn't remotely the way things work in my discipline, I'm just wondering. I do know that students are much somewhat better at following instructions when there's a clear reason for them.)

[Hegemony]

I do give students in my lower-level classes questions ahead of time. Not clear on whether it gets them to do the reading, but it does give them an angle on approaching the text.

One thing that kind of surprises me is that a number of students just don't care about passing the class. You can call them in for office hours and talk earnestly about "help you succeed" and "need to devote some time" and "passing grade" and they just shrug. One outright told me that he didn't want to be in college and his parents insisted he should be, so his way of getting out of it was going to be to fail.  That's even harder to combat than just not wanting to do the work. I do think that if students don't want to be in college, they shouldn't be.

[Caracal]

Has anyone just came in and gave a quiz, and told your students this would count as a major test grade to get students to read before class starts?

What happens to the student who hasn't missed class all semester, but woke up sick that morning, or got in a huge traffic jam? Or the student who has diligently done all the reading, but got jammed up with a lot of other classes and couldn't get to it that day? You just can't operate a class in a fickle way like that.

You really can't get everyone to do the reading, just like you can't get everyone to come to class. What has worked for me is things that create a feeling of accountability and remind reasonably diligent students to do the reading. Response papers, online quizzes etc. Have these count just enough to matter and enough to boost marginal students, but not so much that they will hugely distort grades.