Topic: Bang Your Head on Your Desk - the thread of teaching despair!

[the_geneticist]

Don't submit a .pages file for your final exam.

Don't submit a link to sharepoint document and then deny access for your final exam.

You have a student account to Office 365. The submission instructions say to upload a .docx or .pdf file. WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A TEMPLATE IN THE CORRECT FILE FOLDER THAT YOU JUST NEED TO FILL OUT AND UPLOAD.

And yet, somehow, emails are winging their way back and forth looking for staff members who have macs and can convert .pages to .pdf so the exam can be graded. If you weren't itty bitty baby first-year students I'd just flunk them all and be done with them. (Actually, access-denied sharepoint kid is flunking anyway.)

Does your LMS let you restrict the file types that can be submitted? Moodle does, which is much easier than getting them to follow directions.

TurnItIn does, too. You set it to only accept formats that it can access.

Same with Canvas.  They figure it out.

[fishbrains]

I use https://cloudconvert.com/ to convert .pages to .docx documents. When I am in a good mood. Or just want to get the $hit graded. Better than trying to find a Mac.



 

[ergative]

Don't submit a .pages file for your final exam.

Don't submit a link to sharepoint document and then deny access for your final exam.

You have a student account to Office 365. The submission instructions say to upload a .docx or .pdf file. WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A TEMPLATE IN THE CORRECT FILE FOLDER THAT YOU JUST NEED TO FILL OUT AND UPLOAD.

And yet, somehow, emails are winging their way back and forth looking for staff members who have macs and can convert .pages to .pdf so the exam can be graded. If you weren't itty bitty baby first-year students I'd just flunk them all and be done with them. (Actually, access-denied sharepoint kid is flunking anyway.)

Does your LMS let you restrict the file types that can be submitted? Moodle does, which is much easier than getting them to follow directions.

TurnItIn does, too. You set it to only accept formats that it can access.

Same with Canvas.  They figure it out.

Yes, we use Moodle. The problem is that, depending on the class, sometimes we want students to submit things in different file formats (e.g., some classes need to accept 'all formats' because Moodle doesn't have a special ticky-box for .RData extensions), and our admin team really want to have a universal set-up that applies to all submission boxes. They still whine a bit when we try to suggest that not all classes have a midterm essay and final essay with identical due dates across the entire school, and dragged their feet removing those default submission portals from the Moodles. Students were quite grumpy this year with random deadlines popping up in their calendars saying 'Midterm essay due this week!' for classes with no midterm essay assignment on the syllabus. So for this class admin tried to use a default template submission portal that allowed all file formats to be submitted.

However, this particular .pages headache has impressed upon our admin team why it is, in fact, worth having separate submission settings for separate classes, and the other class that has a final exam due this week will properly restrict file formats.

[Puget]

Don't submit a .pages file for your final exam.

Don't submit a link to sharepoint document and then deny access for your final exam.

You have a student account to Office 365. The submission instructions say to upload a .docx or .pdf file. WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A TEMPLATE IN THE CORRECT FILE FOLDER THAT YOU JUST NEED TO FILL OUT AND UPLOAD.

And yet, somehow, emails are winging their way back and forth looking for staff members who have macs and can convert .pages to .pdf so the exam can be graded. If you weren't itty bitty baby first-year students I'd just flunk them all and be done with them. (Actually, access-denied sharepoint kid is flunking anyway.)

Does your LMS let you restrict the file types that can be submitted? Moodle does, which is much easier than getting them to follow directions.

TurnItIn does, too. You set it to only accept formats that it can access.

Same with Canvas.  They figure it out.

Yes, we use Moodle. The problem is that, depending on the class, sometimes we want students to submit things in different file formats (e.g., some classes need to accept 'all formats' because Moodle doesn't have a special ticky-box for .RData extensions), and our admin team really want to have a universal set-up that applies to all submission boxes. They still whine a bit when we try to suggest that not all classes have a midterm essay and final essay with identical due dates across the entire school, and dragged their feet removing those default submission portals from the Moodles. Students were quite grumpy this year with random deadlines popping up in their calendars saying 'Midterm essay due this week!' for classes with no midterm essay assignment on the syllabus. So for this class admin tried to use a default template submission portal that allowed all file formats to be submitted.

However, this particular .pages headache has impressed upon our admin team why it is, in fact, worth having separate submission settings for separate classes, and the other class that has a final exam due this week will properly restrict file formats.

Weird! Faculty here would throw an absolute fit if anyone tried to tell them how to set up their LMS sites. A shell gets created for each class, but we're completely free to edit it. Certainly no one would think of creating submission portals for us!

[ergative]

Weird! Faculty here would throw an absolute fit if anyone tried to tell them how to set up their LMS sites. A shell gets created for each class, but we're completely free to edit it. Certainly no one would think of creating submission portals for us!

To be honest, it's really, really nice not to have to keep track of who's got an extension and who needs which late penalties applied and who needs to be reminded that they missed a deadline and who needs help switching from the Tuesday to the Friday seminar section. I'm perfectly happy giving up a little bit of power in exchange for someone else dealing with the hassle and by the time our students are in their fourth year the consistency in policies means that they're quite well trained about things like applying for extensions and procedures for summer re-sits.

[FishProf]

Good teaching practices (best?)

1) Give the students a Rubric when you assign X.
2) Give an example of X from previous years with feedback on its flaws (like, I dunno, the rubric)
3) Allow rough drafts for feedback.

Check.  Check.  And Check.

Good student practices.
1) Use the provided rubric to make sure you have completed the assignment as assigned.
2) Review the provided samples and the critiques.
3) Submit a rough draft so you can get feedback.

Nope.  Nope.  and Nope (except 1 student).

So NO ONE put an abstract worth 10% of the grade on their poster?  SRSLY?
2) Look at previous examples

[Parasaurolophus]

Not unlike the student who saw the quiz deadlines on the syllabus and the LMS (i.e. on the quizzes themselves) and figured that meant they opened on those dates and closed... never?

*headdesk*

[Caracal]

Weird! Faculty here would throw an absolute fit if anyone tried to tell them how to set up their LMS sites. A shell gets created for each class, but we're completely free to edit it. Certainly no one would think of creating submission portals for us!

To be honest, it's really, really nice not to have to keep track of who's got an extension and who needs which late penalties applied and who needs to be reminded that they missed a deadline and who needs help switching from the Tuesday to the Friday seminar section. I'm perfectly happy giving up a little bit of power in exchange for someone else dealing with the hassle and by the time our students are in their fourth year the consistency in policies means that they're quite well trained about things like applying for extensions and procedures for summer re-sits.

Whoa, you don't determine your own extension and late policies?

[ergative]

Weird! Faculty here would throw an absolute fit if anyone tried to tell them how to set up their LMS sites. A shell gets created for each class, but we're completely free to edit it. Certainly no one would think of creating submission portals for us!

To be honest, it's really, really nice not to have to keep track of who's got an extension and who needs which late penalties applied and who needs to be reminded that they missed a deadline and who needs help switching from the Tuesday to the Friday seminar section. I'm perfectly happy giving up a little bit of power in exchange for someone else dealing with the hassle and by the time our students are in their fourth year the consistency in policies means that they're quite well trained about things like applying for extensions and procedures for summer re-sits.

Whoa, you don't determine your own extension and late policies?

No. Students apply to the program coordinator for extensions, and late policies are uniform across the college. It's glorious. No whining! No begging! No arguing! No dead grandmothers! (Well, maybe dead grandmothers, but if so it's the program coordinator who killed 'em, not me.)

[lightning]

Student ghosted on me about five weeks ago. He was failing anyway because he had not turned in any work for most of the semester.

He emailed me last night, asking for an Incomplete. The final was this morning.

Course eval window closed already and half of the administrators have already scrammed for the semester (well, they will still meet you via Zoom & check email, ha ha).

I think I'm just going to ignore him, after sending a one word reply consisting of my favorite word at this time of the semester. That favorite word is "no."

[aside]

Student ghosted on me about five weeks ago. He was failing anyway because he had not turned in any work for most of the semester.

He emailed me last night, asking for an Incomplete. The final was this morning.

Course eval window closed already and half of the administrators have already scrammed for the semester (well, they will still meet you via Zoom & check email, ha ha).

I think I'm just going to ignore him, after sending a one word reply consisting of my favorite word at this time of the semester. That favorite word is "no."

My university's policy is that an incomplete can be assigned only if the student would be passing the course at the moment the incomplete was requested and legitimate reasons for the incomplete were documented.  I like this policy.  A lot.  It does not prevent the failing student from asking, yet all I have to do is refer to university policy.

[arcturus]

Student ghosted on me about five weeks ago. He was failing anyway because he had not turned in any work for most of the semester.

He emailed me last night, asking for an Incomplete. The final was this morning.

Course eval window closed already and half of the administrators have already scrammed for the semester (well, they will still meet you via Zoom & check email, ha ha).

I think I'm just going to ignore him, after sending a one word reply consisting of my favorite word at this time of the semester. That favorite word is "no."

My university's policy is that an incomplete can be assigned only if the student would be passing the course at the moment the incomplete was requested and legitimate reasons for the incomplete were documented.  I like this policy.  A lot.  It does not prevent the failing student from asking, yet all I have to do is refer to university policy.

We have a similar policy. I also like it because it makes my life easier. We also had a similar policy regarding late-term withdrawals, when our automatic-W date was mid-semester (it is now on the last date that classes meet). However, there are occassions where I think it is appropriate to consider the last date the student was engaged in the course, rather than the date of the requested incomplete/withdrawal. In some circumstances (often associated with mental health), the student does not know that they need to file for the incomplete until they are in deep trouble. If a student has been doing well, but then suffers a crisis, I do not penalize them for waiting a few weeks to ask for help.

[the_geneticist]

Student ghosted on me about five weeks ago. He was failing anyway because he had not turned in any work for most of the semester.

He emailed me last night, asking for an Incomplete. The final was this morning.

Course eval window closed already and half of the administrators have already scrammed for the semester (well, they will still meet you via Zoom & check email, ha ha).

I think I'm just going to ignore him, after sending a one word reply consisting of my favorite word at this time of the semester. That favorite word is "no."

My university's policy is that an incomplete can be assigned only if the student would be passing the course at the moment the incomplete was requested and legitimate reasons for the incomplete were documented.  I like this policy.  A lot.  It does not prevent the failing student from asking, yet all I have to do is refer to university policy.

Similar policy here.  Academic advisors can authorize a retroactive Withdrawal if needed due to unforeseen complications (e.g. major health crisis). 
You have to be passing the course AND have instructor consent to get an Incomplete.  Missing that much of the class means they need to take it again.

[Puget]

Student ghosted on me about five weeks ago. He was failing anyway because he had not turned in any work for most of the semester.

He emailed me last night, asking for an Incomplete. The final was this morning.

Course eval window closed already and half of the administrators have already scrammed for the semester (well, they will still meet you via Zoom & check email, ha ha).

I think I'm just going to ignore him, after sending a one word reply consisting of my favorite word at this time of the semester. That favorite word is "no."

My university's policy is that an incomplete can be assigned only if the student would be passing the course at the moment the incomplete was requested and legitimate reasons for the incomplete were documented.  I like this policy.  A lot.  It does not prevent the failing student from asking, yet all I have to do is refer to university policy.

Similar policy here.  Academic advisors can authorize a retroactive Withdrawal if needed due to unforeseen complications (e.g. major health crisis). 
You have to be passing the course AND have instructor consent to get an Incomplete.  Missing that much of the class means they need to take it again.

Same here. I'm literally proctoring a final right now, and a student with a 40% in the class just asked if she can get an incomplete to make up all the work she's missed all semester. Sorry honey, doesn't work like that.

[lightning]

We have a similar incomplete policy. That's why I don't give a s**t. The flake student can whine all they want to an administrator.