Online Course Time Window

[HigherEd7]

I normally do a 7 day window in my online courses, and I have been thinking about going to a 5 day window. The reason being students can get their quizzes and discussion questions completed during the week. Has anyone tried this?

[arcturus]

I don't fully understand your question. Are you planning on a 5 day per module schedule, so you do more modules per course? Or are you suggesting that students should not have access to any assignments for two days a week, forcing them to take time away from your course?

For context, I provide access to all modules from the start of the term. However, discussions take place weekly and students do not have access to the discussions until the week they are due. Scaffolded assignments are also limited access (starting immediately following the due date of each scaffolded piece). Major exams have a 48 hour window. Other than that, though, students have access to all major assignments and can see the expected work load so they can work ahead on major assignments if they anticipate a busy week. I also do not have assignments due on the weekend. While different aspects of the course are due on different days of the week, the final assignment for any given module is due 5pm on Fridays. This is to encourage students to practice good work/life balance themselves.

[HigherEd7]

I don't fully understand your question. Are you planning on a 5 day per module schedule, so you do more modules per course? Or are you suggesting that students should not have access to any assignments for two days a week, forcing them to take time away from your course?

For context, I provide access to all modules from the start of the term. However, discussions take place weekly and students do not have access to the discussions until the week they are due. Scaffolded assignments are also limited access (starting immediately following the due date of each scaffolded piece). Major exams have a 48 hour window. Other than that, though, students have access to all major assignments and can see the expected work load so they can work ahead on major assignments if they anticipate a busy week. I also do not have assignments due on the weekend. While different aspects of the course are due on different days of the week, the final assignment for any given module is due 5pm on Fridays. This is to encourage students to practice good work/life balance themselves.

Thank you for your response. I explained that wrong! In the past, I have given my students 7 days to complete a weekly discussion question and quiz and I have found that students wait until the last minute to complete these assignments and I am extremely busy on the weekends answering emails for those students that have lost internet connection, etc..I give my students access to all the assignments ahead of time so they can work on them in advance. I am thinking about reducing the 7-day time window to 5 days. I like your example.

[arcturus]

It sounds like you have the assignments due on the wrong day of the week. If you do not want to work on the weekend, then you should not have assignments due on the weekend.

[Hegemony]

Yes, just make your due dates Monday or Tuesday or whenever.

Making the course unavailable for two days per week will make things difficult for some people's schedules, and you will get just as many complaining emails.

[HigherEd7]

Yes, just make your due dates Monday or Tuesday or whenever.

Making the course unavailable for two days per week will make things difficult for some people's schedules, and you will get just as many complaining emails.

Do you think having a five day module or week will increase student engagement? Week opens on Monday and closes Friday at midnight, students can still read ahead and work on assignments.

[Cheerful]

Do you think having a five day module or week will increase student engagement? Week opens on Monday and closes Friday at midnight, students can still read ahead and work on assignments.

Five days may reduce rather than increase student participation.  Let them have the weekend included for those who like to -- or need to -- do class work on weekends.  This doesn't mean you have weekend participation deadlines.

[arcturus]

I agree with Cheerful.  There is no need to restrict student access over the weekend. You just don't want to have things due then. If you don't want to work on the weekend, you should also be very clear in your syllabus/welcome material that you will check for student questions at least once between 9am-5pm M-F (or whatever dates/times you want to specify) and will attempt to respond to those questions within 24 hours, and will make best effort to respond within 48 hours for questions posed over the weekend.

I also don't think Friday at midnight is a convenient time to have things due. Do you want to spend your Friday evening answering last minute questions? Set the deadline to be at the end of the work day for you (5pm; 8pm; 9pm etc).

[jerseyjay]

I am not sure what your student body looks like. Where I have taught online (that is, courses designed to be online and not ad hoc like the current situation), many of my students worked, had family obligations, etc., and it would be unreasonable to expect them to do everything during the work week.

At the same time, I have experienced what you note: a mad-rush on Sunday to do everything. This results in less effective discussions (because how can you discuss if everybody posts in the same four hour window?) and a flood of emails about problems on the one day I want to relax.

As suggested, you could change the week--i.e., instead of Monday-Sunday, have everything due on Thursday or another workday.

What I have done is to institute two rules in my class. First, that the posts may not all be on the same day. (I have also known instructors to stagger dates: your first post is due on Weds., and your response to a classmate is due by Sunday. ) If a student submits all his or her discussion work, but it is all on the same day, I will usually give the student about a grade lower than the student would have earned with the same posts had they been done more spread out.

The other rule I call the "last minute rule". Students are welcome to submit their tests, essays, etc., at the last minute if they want. However, I strongly encourage them to post it at least 24 hours before the due date. If they submit it later, I will still grade their work if it is submitted the due date, but I will not be available to reset exams, answer questions, etc. In practice I will usually reset the student's exam if the power goes out on Sunday, but it is not guaranteed and I do not feel bad if I go out on Sunday and don't check my email or Blackboard religiously.

I find that these two policies have cut down significantly on student emails on Sunday night. The key is to be clear with the expectations and to repeat them during the first week(s) of the course.

[HigherEd7]

Great points by everyone thank you for your response and help!

[clean]

my online class is ready from day 1 to do.  All of the lessons are up on the first day. I post deadline on the syllabus and in blackboard. You are correct, no matter how much time you provide, the majority of the work will be done 'just in time'.
(I taught a class for several years in the 5 week summer session.  The dean decided that online classes MUST be done in 10 weeks.  I found that having the extra five weeks meant that the students did better. In fact, I found the opposite. Submissions were still right at the deadline, and I found that they did worse on exams.  I contributed that to having the extra five weeks to forget the early material!

But, you can not argue with the dean (or you are punished in any number of ways as that would mark you as 'not a team player'. )

So... I make my deadlines as consistent as possible.  Make the deadlines every, say, "Saturday at 5" or whatever you want.  They will always find a way to do it or argue  that some catastrophe occurred only minutes before they pressed the submit button!!  But by being consistent, they will have one less thing to blame YOU for because they missed a deadline. 

[Caracal]

Yes, just make your due dates Monday or Tuesday or whenever.

Making the course unavailable for two days per week will make things difficult for some people's schedules, and you will get just as many complaining emails.

Yeah, for my class this summer due dates are going to be End of the day Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. The idea is that while I might sometimes do work on the weekend, I can take it off when I want to without falling behind. Students also don't have to do anything over the weekend. They can get everything done on Friday if they want to. Probably, most of them will turn things in the night it is due, but that's ok.

[Bonnie]

I generally officially run my week 12:00 am Monday to 12:00 am Monday, but I try to release the lesson on Friday. First discussion forum post is due on Thursday. Everything else is due Sunday (Monday at 12:00 am). Monday is a good grading day for me, so this works for my schedule. Office hours are Thursday afternoon, and students are advised to have reviewed the lesson requirements by then so they can get clarification before they push through the end of the week's work. Generally works well.