regentrude Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have not seen this discussed here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/class120-app-tells-parents-when-college-students-skip-class/ My personal opinion: a student who is not mature enough to go to class without fearing a stern lecture from mommy for skipping (or a chastizing by a notification from his phone) is not ready to attend college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I agree with you in principle, but I can see something like this being helpful to kids who have a great deal of trouble with time management and perhaps some other issues, such as depression. If a student isn't going to class, it can serve as an early warning that something isn't right. Either more assistance is needed with time management or perhaps some counseling is in order. If the right person is notified, say the SSD office for a person who is receiving services, then it could be very helpful. I'm all for anything that will help people before they hit bottom, whether academically, socially or emotionally. I don't think it would be appropriate for every student, in fact, it wouldn't be appropriate for most students, but the only difference between using this and using a calendar app with an appointment reminder is that it actually tags the location and notifies someone. It also only shows that the phone is in the classroom, not if the student was in the classroom. It would be easy for someone with a sympathetic roommate or friend to buck the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 There was an article a few months back about a university that was piloting a program where they tracked students more closely and tried to intervene before they were too far off track. I can see both sides. When I was in college there were some things I didn't tell my mom. She didn't know all of my grades. But I was also on active duty in the military and on a full scholarship. And roll was taken in every class and absences noted. If I didn't have a legit reason for an absence I would have to explain to my company officer (a Navy LT or USMC Capt with 4-8 years as an officer) why I'd missed class. I might end up with a conduct violation and restriction. So I didn't skip class. I'd like to agree that college students should show maturity. But we don't screen for maturity. We just ask them to meet bare minimums. And that isn't working out for a lot of students. I do wonder what they do with students who don't have a smart phone though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I find it funny that the university will lecture parents on how medical information and grades won't be shared since the student is a adult but they can have a tracking app on their phone. (I am aware the uni doesn't mandate the app-it's just the juxtaposition of the two ideas..) Why do I see this turning into a-take my clicker to class today-situation? Guess I'm a cynic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can just picture a guy carrying a handful of cell phones to an 8am class while his buddies sleep in. Then they rotate. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can just picture a guy carrying a handful of cell phones to an 8am class while his buddies sleep in. Then they rotate. :laugh: I picture some kid in the back row sorting through a back pack full of phones in the middle of the lecture to figure out which kid didn't turn their ringer off. And a really ticked off Prof watching him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 This seems silly. How do you know whether or not the professor canceled class that day or switched classrooms. Maybe they are on a field trip or studying outdoors. Maybe the professor has deemed it a study day and attendance is optional. Maybe the students are meeting in the library for group work. In fact, in one of my dd's classes this semester, her Tuesday class is optional, but the Thursday class is required. It doesn't state that anywhere on her class schedule. There are way too many variables in a college setting - it isn't high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 No way. Adults are adults. I stay out of the decisions my adult children make. The consequences are their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Young adulthood is such an odd time these days. They have no choice in most cases but to be financially tied to us during college. Parental information is usually required on FAFSA, whether or not the parent intends to support the college education. Many colleges have discontinued student health plans, which often necessitates the student continuing on the parents' plan. But the colleges don't communicate with the parents, making it sometimes difficult to ascertain what exactly is being done with our investment in the education, and to help if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I wouldn't do this with my executive function deficit kid. If you are in college, you need to make divisions about class without a parent watching. Several years ago I was annoyed with the high school when they would send email notification of student tarried when they happened. Within 15 minutes of the class period starting I'd get an email telling me ds was late. I didn't need to know that. I thought the school should just give him a detention and let him deal without me jumping in too. They stopped the practice the next year. Kids have to start making mistakes and fixing them themselves without parents knowing every little thing at some point. I skipped class a handful of times in college. Each time it was a serious contemplation to do so. I'm going to assume another student has figured out whether he benefits from class lectures and how he can get notes or spevial announcements made in class. One thing I do tell my dc is to find a couple of people in each class and share contact information so that they can get notes, etc if they have to miss. But that's my suggestion, not an order. How they deal with missing class is not my responsibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 No way. Adults are adults. I stay out of the decisions my adult children make. The consequences are their own. I agree! At what point do we let adults be adults? There are exceptions, but I think those exceptions are becoming the norm. Why should teens grow up when they aren't required to face their own consequences? Too much micromanaging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 What about classes with no direct requirement for attendance? I have one class like that, now you might not do well if you skip a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Keeping track of attendance is one thing- we do it at our college, and instructors follow up. Now, one can argue whether this should be necessary - but that's not the real point. My problem with this app is for Parents to track an adult using a GPS locator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I can just picture a guy carrying a handful of cell phones to an 8am class while his buddies sleep in. Then they rotate. :laugh: Sure - that's exactly what they do in classes that use "clickers". If the class is large enough, the prof never finds out that somebody is bringing multiple clickers... unless it's a moron like the student who got caught with two clickers, one in each outstreched hand, in the front row. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 . But the colleges don't communicate with the parents, making it sometimes difficult to ascertain what exactly is being done with our investment in the education, and to help if needed. FERPA does not allow colleges to disclose information to parents. It is not the colleges' fault. Parents financing their child's education can make it a condition to be kept informed by their student. They could easily require to be kept up to date with grades etc if they suspect their child is putting in less than a full effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Sure - that's exactly what they do in classes that use "clickers". If the class is large enough, the prof never finds out that somebody is bringing multiple clickers... unless it's a moron like the student who got caught with two clickers, one in each outstreched hand, in the front row. That's when you wonder "how did he get accepted?" Choosing the right person to cover for you is just as important as choosing a lab partner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Sure - that's exactly what they do in classes that use "clickers". If the class is large enough, the prof never finds out that somebody is bringing multiple clickers... unless it's a moron like the student who got caught with two clickers, one in each outstreched hand, in the front row. I tried using clickers to take attendance in my class. I realized that there were about 50% more students in attendance than there were bodies in the classroom! At my university we have spent boatloads of money on ways to tell students they aren't doing their homework, aren't coming to class, aren't passing, etc. Last year faculty did not get a raise so that the money could be spent on a new computer program that gives students "badges" when they were passing and hire people to contact students who didn't receive badges. If a student doesn't have the maturity to know that going to class is important, the student probably doesn't have the maturity to know that doing the homework is important, reading the book is important, etc. The college classroom is not high school. It requires a certain amount of maturity to be successful. For many, I think that maturity comes from experiencing the consequences of their behavior--not having their behavior micromanaged. That just delays the problem. I have been surprised, however, of how many parents don't seem to think that class attendance is important. Why does parents schedule a two week vacation to Hawaii during the semester? Or, take their child to Las Vegas for several days for their 21st birthday? Or, have a weeklong ski trip the first week of the semester? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Badges for college? :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 At my university we have spent boatloads of money on ways to tell students they aren't doing their homework, aren't coming to class, aren't passing, etc. Last year faculty did not get a raise so that the money could be spent on a new computer program that gives students "badges" when they were passing and hire people to contact students who didn't receive badges. Yep. We are required to use an electronic system to inform students that they are not attending class (because they apparently do not realize they've been skipping) and to inform them if they get a low grade on an exam (which is completely ridiculous since grades are posted the day after the exam was given, and the test is returned in class the following day - so it's not that students would not KNOW if they bothered to look.) The irony is that most students for whom an Alert is issues do not bother viewing the Alert. It only wastes the faculty's time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Badges for college? :svengo: Congratulations! You attended three classes in a row and are now a Star-Student! Click here to share this on facebook and invite your friends to play. Next level: attend ten classes and become a Gold-Star-Student. Are you ready to level up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yeah, very ridiculous. I suppose if I'm paying for it I'd want to know that my kid was taking it seriously enough, but I have no desire to micromanage his life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I went with my son when he registered for his first dual enrollment class. There was a huge line of first semester college students who were also registering at the cc that day. The line went out the door and around the building. Staff from the registrars office was going down the line asking students if they had a student ID number, if they done registration and if they knew the classes they wanted including section number. About every 10th student was sent out of line because they had t watched the orientation video, hadn't done a placement test or hadn't picked classes out for themselves. These steps were outlined on the cc website. There is such a push to put students into college. Now there is a push to get them through. I think the app falls into that category. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Congratulations! You attended three classes in a row and are now a Star-Student! Click here to share this on facebook and invite your friends to play. Next level: attend ten classes and become a Gold-Star-Student. Are you ready to level up? We even have a system that faculty can earn badges! I have two sections of the same class. The university requires that those be in two different Blackboard learning management system courses and I must post everything twice. Having them in one place would interfere with the badge system! Yes, badges are more important than efficient use of faculty time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 If a kid skips class, it will be reflected in their grade. A tracking app is ridiculous, but I can't say I'm surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 We even have a system that faculty can earn badges! I have two sections of the same class. The university requires that those be in two different Blackboard learning management system courses and I must post everything twice. Having them in one place would interfere with the badge system! Yes, badges are more important than efficient use of faculty time. :banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 The only school I know of that takes attendance seriously is U of Notre Dame. Generally, a student may not have more than three unexcused absences although the number allowed is up to the discretion of the professor. Some won't allow any, while others will allow many. I'm not sure if parents are notified. None of the schools my kids attended notified parents if the student was not showing up. Parents would know how their child was doing when grades came out provided the student showed parents their grades. Also, what if a professor doesn't allow cell phones? Paul Sally at UChicago was notoriously against having cell phones turned on in his class. Sure, a student could silence it, but why bring it at all to class and risk the wrath of your professor should it ring? My son's cell phone will buzz if it falls below a 30% charge. When he went to Sally's weekend program, we kept his phone just in case. What if a student doesn't own a cell phone, it's stolen or it breaks down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 What if a student doesn't own a cell phone, it's stolen or it breaks down? Maybe then they can have a microchip implanted? That would make tracking them even more reliable. </sarcasm off> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I agree! At what point do we let adults be adults? There are exceptions, but I think those exceptions are becoming the norm. Why should teens grow up when they aren't required to face their own consequences? Too much micromanaging! I don't always feel like I am being treated like an adult when I receive texts, e-mails, and phone calls reminding me of appointments! I get that professionals' time is valuable, but just set up a policy that if the patient/customer doesn't show s/he charged a fee! That would be a reasonable consequence. I don't *NEED* reminders. I am a grown woman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Keeping track of attendance is one thing- we do it at our college, and instructors follow up. Now, one can argue whether this should be necessary - but that's not the real point. My problem with this app is for Parents to track an adult using a GPS locator. At Calvin's college, attendance at tutorials and seminars is expected - because they are as much about contributing as about receiving. But lectures are usually optional: it's up to the students, as adults, to decide how that time could be best spent. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Do young adults really not know the correlation between attendance and grades earned? I know some people who skipped a lot of classes in college and did poorly and they knew why they did poorly. I can't think of anyone who denied understanding why they did badly. Even people I knew who felt they got nothing out of a particular teacher's lecture, went to enough classes that they knew of there were schedule changes for assignments on the syllabus and other things made in class. And they went to enough classes that they knew someone who attended regularly that they could check in with about the class. This is basic stuff I would expect a typical individual over the age of 16 to know. Perhaps a person with severe ADHD in combination with executive function deficits would have trouble and may such an app would be a good tool. I certainly wouldn't want to be the parent monitoring the student though. I think ideally you would have spent high school years on compensation skills for these deficits. In college if these deficits are still a problem, perhaps the app could be used with counselor/therapist/organizational tutor whom the students checks in with regularly IOW not mom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I don't always feel like I am being treated like an adult when I receive texts, e-mails, and phone calls reminding me of appointments! I get that professionals' time is valuable, but just set up a policy that if the patient/customer don't show s/he charged a fee! That would be a reasonable consequence. I don't *NEED* reminders. I am a grown woman! :lol: Oh my gosh, I love the text messages reminding me of appointments. But the ones that I REALLY love are from the library telling me that my books are almost due. It costs about $4 per day per book here. Yikes! That app is ridiculous, but it doesn't surprise me. My son's university has an attendance policy, but I have no idea if they enforce it or not. But classes are small and seminar-style. If people don't show up, it makes it hard to run the classes as they are intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 The whole idea makes me nauseuous. What is going to happen to this generation of young adults when they can't function without someone micromanaging them? I feel sorry for them Parents financing their child's education can make it a condition to be kept informed by their student. They could easily require to be kept up to date with grades etc if they suspect their child is putting in less than a full effort. :iagree: Totally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 This thread reminds me to share something a colleague form the English department told me. In her English Composition 1 course, she polled the students which organizing tools they use most often and considered most important. She was thinking of phone apps, paper planners, google calendar.. and was shocked that a substantial percentage of the students responded with "my mom". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 This thread reminds me to share something a colleague form the English department told me. In her English Composition 1 course, she polled the students which organizing tools they use most often and considered most important. She was thinking of phone apps, paper planners, google calendar.. and was shocked that a substantial percentage of the students responded with "my mom". I will admit to trying repeatedly to get Calvin to phone the doctor - it's no small issue and he is not giving it priority. But otherwise, his life is his own to organise. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Man, I love that my dentist's office e-mails me for reminders. You can have young adults who don't get micromanaged during college as soon as you start letting them fail and not penalizing the college for the astronomical failure rates that would result. Good luck getting it through your state legislature. Honestly I don't think that we could just throw it back to the "one final and that determines your grade" system without providing some significant scaffolding during high school to move them towards it. When all through high school they (at many schools) get unlimited attempts to retake the same test, submit the same homework, magical extra credit at the end of the semester, etc. -- even expecting them to come to class and take notes without being dragged is a huge leap. They don't believe me when I say "no, we do not do extra credit". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I teach in some large format auditorium classrooms. Last semester I gave an exam and the average was 74. I got the "everyone is failing! Aren't you going to curve?" cries. I pointed out that class attendance was below 50%--so it was amazing that the exam scores were that high. I said that I would never curve exam grades so that the average was above the class attendance average. Many of my students had no idea what I was talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yes. And as much as we say "don't they KNOW that not attending hurts?" -- no, what they believe is that if anyone fails, the teacher will curve until they pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 The whole idea makes me nauseuous. What is going to happen to this generation of young adults when they can't function without someone micromanaging them? I feel sorry for them :iagree: Totally. I feel sorry for their parents! I want my ds to be able to function well as an adult so he can help me out when I am old(er). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Perhaps a person with severe ADHD in combination with executive function deficits would have trouble and may such an app would be a good tool. I certainly wouldn't want to be the parent monitoring the student though. I think ideally you would have spent high school years on compensation skills for these deficits. In college if these deficits are still a problem, perhaps the app could be used with counselor/therapist/organizational tutor whom the students checks in with regularly IOW not mom. Yes, this is what I said in my post earlier. Having it tied to the SSD office is an appropriate use of something like that. FWIW, for many students who have severe ADHD and EF issues, all of the compensation skills in the world don't make a difference. There are people who will always require assistance managing details. For people who need a lot of assistance, they usually have to have a family member help them or hire someone to help them. This is not covered by insurance. I know of one ADHD coach who charges $10 for every reminder email that she sends. It adds up quickly, so yes, family (even mom) sometimes has to get involved because help simply is not affordable over the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I feel sorry for their parents! I want my ds to be able to function well as an adult so he can help me out when I am old(er). For many people that will not be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I will admit to trying repeatedly to get Calvin to phone the doctor - it's no small issue and he is not giving it priority. But otherwise, his life is his own to organise. L That seems ok to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 To be honest the first time I saw a program like this discussed it was all about the college tracking students to head of problems before they spiraled out of control. Yes adults should be able to get themselves to class and do homework and all kinds of other tasks. On the other hand what is unfamiliar can be pretty daunting. And a common reaction can be avoidance. As an older adult I know avoidance isn't a solution. But I also don't assume that an 18-20 yo will already know how to advocate for themselves, especially if they come from a high school situation where there were few choices that had to be made. I wonder if the use by parents is mostly just the slant of this particular article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 I wonder if the use by parents is mostly just the slant of this particular article. No, "Parents" is the first tab on the company's website. Before "Colleges". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 So I asked my kids. They agreed with the idea that a student at college ought just get himself to class. They were quite appalled by the idea of a geo tracker that would just run in the background of the phone. Having looked at the company website I'm thinking that $200 per year is pretty steep. But I'm more disturbed by the add on service of having someone else call your kid to follow up after the absence? I'm picturing a family that wants to keep that close of tabs on their kid, but not to I teract personally if they miss class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Having looked at the company website I'm thinking that $200 per year is pretty steep. But I'm more disturbed by the add on service of having someone else call your kid to follow up after the absence? I'm picturing a family that wants to keep that close of tabs on their kid, but not to I teract personally if they miss class. This is the type of thing an ADHD coach would do. Having someone other than the family involved as an "impartial" third party can be a great thing for parents of special needs students. You also wouldn't think it a steep price to pay if you had a child with a history of depression and you were worried about the adjustment to college life. Having someone check on a student without having a parent hover is a good thing where at-risk students are concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 This is the type of thing an ADHD coach would do. Having someone other than the family involved as an "impartial" third party can be a great thing for parents of special needs students. You also wouldn't think it a steep price to pay if you had a child with a history of depression and you were worried about the adjustment to college life. Having someone check on a student without having a parent hover is a good thing where at-risk students are concerned. That would be an investment to consider for that situation. As it would be for a star athlete who is not making it to class (one of the other tabs on the site). But I suspect that it is the sort of service that will quickly become common even for students who aren't at risk. Or that it will be tied to scholarships and aid. And I don't think there is anything other than the reassurance of the company that the student isn't tracked outside of class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I'm thinking the kid could just say he left his phone in the dorm, or turn off the GPS pinger/location services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I tried using clickers to take attendance in my class. I realized that there were about 50% more students in attendance than there were bodies in the classroom! At my university we have spent boatloads of money on ways to tell students they aren't doing their homework, aren't coming to class, aren't passing, etc. Last year faculty did not get a raise so that the money could be spent on a new computer program that gives students "badges" when they were passing and hire people to contact students who didn't receive badges. If a student doesn't have the maturity to know that going to class is important, the student probably doesn't have the maturity to know that doing the homework is important, reading the book is important, etc. The college classroom is not high school. It requires a certain amount of maturity to be successful. For many, I think that maturity comes from experiencing the consequences of their behavior--not having their behavior micromanaged. That just delays the problem. I have been surprised, however, of how many parents don't seem to think that class attendance is important. Why does parents schedule a two week vacation to Hawaii during the semester? Or, take their child to Las Vegas for several days for their 21st birthday? Or, have a weeklong ski trip the first week of the semester? You are 100% spot on. I don't want to hire these people who were "helicoptered" from the cradle to college graduation. Failure is a part of the human maturation process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I tried using clickers to take attendance in my class. I realized that there were about 50% more students in attendance than there were bodies in the classroom! At my university we have spent boatloads of money on ways to tell students they aren't doing their homework, aren't coming to class, aren't passing, etc. Last year faculty did not get a raise so that the money could be spent on a new computer program that gives students "badges" when they were passing and hire people to contact students who didn't receive badges. If a student doesn't have the maturity to know that going to class is important, the student probably doesn't have the maturity to know that doing the homework is important, reading the book is important, etc. The college classroom is not high school. It requires a certain amount of maturity to be successful. For many, I think that maturity comes from experiencing the consequences of their behavior--not having their behavior micromanaged. That just delays the problem. I think the real problem is that even in college, today there is huge pressure not to fail students. My DH told me tales from some engineering school professors, that parents would complain and try to get profs to change grades, even 10 - 15 years ago. And often the parent would be successful, because they'd take it higher up. I think if it would be easier for profs to fail people, this problem would take care of itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 There seems to be a trend to thinking that collecting information will solve problems. So, a student skips class and misses the important material presented that day. He gets a notification saying he missed class. What good does that do? His parents get a notification that he missed class. What good does that do? As a parent what would I do with information that my child missed his college class this morning? Drive several hours tomorrow morning to wake him up, get him dressed, and walk him to class? Simply call him and telling him the importance of going to class? (Haven't I already told him that--why will it make a difference to say it again?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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