It’s a depressingly familiar story: students are missing lectures and tutorials due to paid work, poor mental health, and lack of motivation. Their grades suffer, perpetuating the cycle. How as educators can we do better? #HigherEducation#academiawww.theguardian.com/education/ar...
About half the students who got in touch skip lectures, with many ‘disappointed’ with the experience and others forced to prioritise paid work
I give my first-year students points for attending class in the form of clicker questions which are also a learning activity. These points are not a large fraction of their final grade, but small incentives seem to help. They also earn course credit for participating in tutorials.
The old “I’ve paid for my degree” chestnut. No dear, they’re called ‘tuition fees’. If you buy a car you don’t a) leave it in the showroom or b) expect a chauffeur service. And it’s not the salesperson’s fault when you’re still stuck on the bus. (Grumpy end of year weariness showing, possibly).
Should have shorter terms all year like Milton Keynes has 4 terms. Less stress and more time to do stuff. Long summers degrade student performance till October. But need new mindset and tourism rethink in UK. Prepare more for real world of work which is most uk weeks!
My 7yo suggested giving students colouring books to make attending in person worth their time. Might give it a try in the next academic year.
I know many students have struggled to get to UCD because they live in areas with no bus route to south Dublin. They aren’t far away - they live in the same city! These are students who can live with their parents - I can only imagine the situation is close to unbearable for international students…
