Communicating a Feedback Policy

You uploaded your syllabus and it seems as if no student reads it. This is not a fault of students. People do not like reading pdfs on the web (Nielsen, 2003). This might be why nobody can find your notes about feedback in your uploaded 15 page pdf file with your feedback policy buried on page 11, sections 5.42. How can we remedy this? Offer the information in a preferable format.

Deconstruct the syllabus for the web. Harness the web and make the imparting information more effective in this medium. By breaking it down into a set of pages, such as a set of Course Information Documents, the information is presented in manageable chunks that are easier for students to access and review. The ‘findability’ of this information helps students more effectively orientate themselves to the course. Research reveals that courses where course information is easy to find have a direct impact on students’ perceptions, overall experience, and learning outcomes (Simunich, Robins, & Kelly, 2015)

Having a policy statement explaining how the instructor/student feedback occurs can reduce expectation gaps that create student frustration because they do not know what to expect. This can also reduce communication about feedback and allow students to focus more time on task. A concise policy statement can establish expectations and knowing how the course functions and the instructor’s expectations allows students to keep on track and prioritize their responsibilities (Ladyshwesky, 2013).

You will find that offering detailed guidelines that are easy to find defines course protocol and allows students to focus on learning the content instead of the process of the course. Students’ expectations about the frequency of the feedback, the response time for assignments, and the quality of interactions that are expected of them will help them focus on their success. This may also effectively reduce your workload as an instructor because you can spend more time on teaching and less time on reviewing course policies with the students.

References

Ladyshewsky, R. (2013). Instructor Presence in Online Courses and Student Satisfaction. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, 7(1), 1-23.

Nielsen, J. (2003) Avoid PDF for On-Screen Reading. NN/g Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved Juy 24, 2018 from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/avoid-pdf-for-on-screen-reading/

Simunich, B., Robins, D. B., & Kelly, V. (2015). The Impact of Findability on Student Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Perceptions of Online Course Quality. American Journal of Distance Education, 29(3), 174-185.