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

[marshwiggle]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I think the technical term for this type of request is "ave maria".

[Anon1787]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I emphasize the protocol when reviewing the syllabus (there's even a syllabus quiz question on it). Students are only entitled to an accommodation if their disability is verified by the disability office prior to any test or assignment.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I emphasize the protocol when reviewing the syllabus (there's even a syllabus quiz question on it). Students are only entitled to an accommodation if their disability is verified by the disability office prior to any test or assignment.

Yep. It's all in the syllabus. I posted an announcement about it, etc., etc., etc. They don't read.

[the_geneticist]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I emphasize the protocol when reviewing the syllabus (there's even a syllabus quiz question on it). Students are only entitled to an accommodation if their disability is verified by the disability office prior to any test or assignment.

Yep. It's all in the syllabus. I posted an announcement about it, etc., etc., etc. They don't read.

Our disability office makes it very clear: accommodations must be documented and are not retroactive.
Unless you disability folks work on weekends ( highly doubtful ) it's too late to ask for documentation.

[mamselle]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I think the technical term for this type of request is "ave maria".

Yes, I agree, a "Hail Mary" pass just about characterizes it.

M.

[marshwiggle]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I think the technical term for this type of request is "ave maria".

Yes, I agree, a "Hail Mary" pass just about characterizes it.

M.

I wonder if a special "Hail Mary requests" thread would be worthwhile. Having them all collected might be entertaining. (And they are only one subset of head-banging requests.)

[mamselle]

Go for it!

M.

[Anon1787]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I emphasize the protocol when reviewing the syllabus (there's even a syllabus quiz question on it). Students are only entitled to an accommodation if their disability is verified by the disability office prior to any test or assignment.

Yep. It's all in the syllabus. I posted an announcement about it, etc., etc., etc. They don't read.

Our disability office makes it very clear: accommodations must be documented and are not retroactive.
Unless you disability folks work on weekends ( highly doubtful ) it's too late to ask for documentation.

Since your field is physics perhaps they think you are Time Lord who can retroactively submit the necessary documentation?

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I have already received two emails this weekend from online students claiming to have disabilities and who need additional time for the exam that is due tomorrow. Our disability office has send me nothing about them and the stuff the kids are sending me is from last year.

Sigh. I want to help them, but they are not following protocol.

I emphasize the protocol when reviewing the syllabus (there's even a syllabus quiz question on it). Students are only entitled to an accommodation if their disability is verified by the disability office prior to any test or assignment.

Yep. It's all in the syllabus. I posted an announcement about it, etc., etc., etc. They don't read.

Our disability office makes it very clear: accommodations must be documented and are not retroactive.
Unless you disability folks work on weekends ( highly doubtful ) it's too late to ask for documentation.

Since your field is physics perhaps they think you are Time Lord who can retroactively submit the necessary documentation?

Yeah. I think I need that Batman slap meme generator. The emails that I'm getting now are making me want to drink.

[FishProf]

From a student today.
"Dear Dr. Fishprof,
I can not find the syllabus quiz on the blackboard. Could you tell me where I can find it on the website so I can get it done?
Thank you,
AWOL Student"

Yeah, that expired A MONTH AGO at the drop deadline.  As in, do this, or drop the course.

He has now MISSED 40% of the course material (excluding the final).

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

From a student today.
"Dear Dr. Fishprof,
I can not find the syllabus quiz on the blackboard. Could you tell me where I can find it on the website so I can get it done?
Thank you,
AWOL Student"

Yeah, that expired A MONTH AGO at the drop deadline.  As in, do this, or drop the course.

He has now MISSED 40% of the course material (excluding the final).

Yep. I have a student who currently has a 4.8% in the course.

[FishProf]

It is students like this that make me waffle on course design for my online courses.

Do I:
1) Make everything due at the end, give them a suggested schedule and let 'er rip?; or
2) Do I give a series of due dates to move the class along (basically make the suggested schedule in #1 mandatory) and enforce them.

Issues
1) Leads to students not doing anything all semester and then begging for extensions.  This does allow me to exercise my NO muscles.
2) A steady trickle of begging for extensions.  Also good for my NO muscle.

I've tried both.  Either way, poor students do poorly.

[arcturus]

My online students can work ahead, but not behind. In other words, if they want to spend 48 hours straight focusing on my class, and my class only, then they can do that at the start of the semester and complete most of the weekly assignments in advance. The exams are specific 48 hour windows, and the discussions are weekly (but not worth many points), so they can't finish the entire course in the first week of school, but they can get a lot of it out of the way. However, I do not accept late work and the weekly assignments are designed to keep the course at a steady but reasonable pace. In my opinion, late work is a bad deal for the student (increases their work load, since they have to do the current work AND the past work) and the instructor (increases the grading load at the end of the semester). Just my 2 cents on the issue.

[the_geneticist]

It is students like this that make me waffle on course design for my online courses.

Do I:
1) Make everything due at the end, give them a suggested schedule and let 'er rip?; or
2) Do I give a series of due dates to move the class along (basically make the suggested schedule in #1 mandatory) and enforce them.

Issues
1) Leads to students not doing anything all semester and then begging for extensions.  This does allow me to exercise my NO muscles.
2) A steady trickle of begging for extensions.  Also good for my NO muscle.

I've tried both.  Either way, poor students do poorly.

I vote for #2.

[FishProf]

It is students like this that make me waffle on course design for my online courses.

Do I:
1) Make everything due at the end, give them a suggested schedule and let 'er rip?; or
2) Do I give a series of due dates to move the class along (basically make the suggested schedule in #1 mandatory) and enforce them.

Issues
1) Leads to students not doing anything all semester and then begging for extensions.  This does allow me to exercise my NO muscles.
2) A steady trickle of begging for extensions.  Also good for my NO muscle.

I've tried both.  Either way, poor students do poorly.

I vote for #2.

Having tried both, I concur.