How can students taking online courses on different schedules stay on track and submit work earlier?
Cheri Fraser, Learning Technology Manager at Michigan Virtual, discusses the challenges that come with supporting middle and high school students taking online courses across Michigan. Because students start and stop courses on different calendars, Michigan Virtual partnered with D2L Brightspace to develop a Student Pacing Tool with personalized target dates that fit each student’s schedule.
The tool lists course tasks and target submission dates, lets students work ahead, and shares progress with students, teachers, and mentors. Fraser says students seem more engaged and assignments are being submitted earlier in the semester.
Key takeaways:
- Personalized due dates support students on different schedules
- Students can work ahead and monitor their progress
- Teachers and mentors can also track how far students are off pace
- Fraser reports increased engagement and earlier assignment submissions
“Students seem more engaged in their courses, and we've seen a shift of assignments getting submitted earlier in the semester instead of everything, normally you see a big shift at the end of the semester.” — Cheri Fraser