Communicating Written Communication Preference

George Williams offers a tip on communicating written communication preferences to college students. Williams actually prefers the immediacy of Skype chat to decyphering the message of an e-mail, and tells that to his students upfront.

-DD

Tutoring Service Under-Utilized

Google is shuttering its HelpOuts service, which served as a marketplace for tutors.   According to reporter Zack Miners, the service was under-utilized and Google has determined to close it down April 20.

I have observed that only highly motivated students avail themselves of tutoring options, even if personal tutoring is provided without cost.   In my opinion, students who are identified as being at risk of failure should be assigned a mentor or coach whose main role would be to encourage these students to succeed.

-DD

Communicating with Students

Martin L. Kollman presents to other instructors the key concepts of student expectations in a Blackboard online classroom . His key takeaway is that well-done two-way communication is foundational, but he also discusses what successful instructors communicate to their students.

-DD

 

Expectations and Success

Jordan Moeny comments on a study of teacher expectations which shows that successful students faced higher expectations from their educators. Moeny notes that expectations may have a causative role in success, but that teacher observations of which students have grit and intellect may cause the expectations.

-DD

 

 

University Students and Information Technology

Eden Dahlstrom, J. D. Walker and Charles Dziuban prepared the ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2013 . Key findings are that students value privacy and expect schools to teach them the technology they require.

-DD