6.6 | Student-to-Instructor Engagement | Feedback
Feedback
In addition to setting general communication expectations, you will want to let students know how you will communicate grades and feedback to them. Providing clear timelines for when students can expect feedback may help reduce some anxiety (on both your parts!).
In the first weeks of the course, you will want to exceed these established timelines by grading student work immediately. This is required of the facilitator in the early stages of the course in order to develop a strong instructor presence. If you have communicated an expectation or pattern of grading assignments the following week, you will want to modify this practice for the first couple of weeks where feedback is vitally important to student comprehension and retention.
A wise strategy is to “comment heavy and grade lightly during the first couple of weeks” (Clapper, 2012). This suggestion is very important as students struggle in their quest to acclimate to online learning and actualize course expectations. The assignments and lessons at the beginning of the course should be viewed by the student as achievable and learners should be encouraged to complete them as expeditiously as possible.
When students can view their gradebook, see their earned points adding up, and feel supported in the course activities, they may begin to develop a level of comfort that can lead to success in increasingly difficult lessons.
Canvas Analytics
Analytics allows instructors to track average course grades for student submissions using an interactive chart graph or table. This is one way that feedback can be provided and important information about student performance can be evaluated and support in the first weeks of a course. Analytics can be accessed from the Course home page and provides data at the course level or individual student level.
Use Analytics to:
- View average course grade analytics as an interactive chart graph or a data table
- Compare the course average with an individual assignment, course section, or student filter using the chart graph comparison or data table comparison
- View average weekly online participation analytics as an interactive chart graph or a data table
- Compare the course average weekly online participation analytics with an individual student or section using the chart graph comparison or data table comparison
- Send a message to all students based on specific course grade or participation criteria
- Send a message to an individual student based on specific course grade or participation criteria
- View course grade and participation analytics for an individual student
- View and download reports on missing, late, or excused assignments, class roster, and course activity.
Canvas Guide: New Analytics Links to an external site.