Using Self-Assessment and Reflection with Engagement Check-Ins

During the uncertainty of the past few years, instructors have been asked to be flexible and accommodating to our students. In many ways, this has made us more understanding, more approachable, and more willing to think about the structure of our classes, assignments, and support for students. When I think about how this has impacted my teaching, what comes to mind is that I revised deadline policies, re-imagined make up assignments, re-examined attendance policies and thought carefully about extending grace when students miss class due to illness, potential illness or caring for roommates, family and loved ones. At the same time, I have been repeatedly reminded of the impact of missing class, being late on assignments and requesting that students make-up work while simultaneously exploring new content. As we move into the new academic year, it will be important to set students up to be successful in my classes and to evaluate honestly when, due to circumstances beyond their control or mine, they cannot be. One strategy I plan to use is self-assessment and reflection coupled with regular gradebook checks ins. The intention is to build self-assessment and self-efficacy skills, both of which support students to better understand their own performance in a class and take more agency in their success.

Bi-Weekly Check-ins on Course Engagement

Like most instructors, I have noticed that when students fall behind, they tend to imagine themselves as able to catch up quickly and underestimate the time it will take for them to submit quality work. In addition, I am often the one to reach out and initiate a conversation with students about missing assignments (I tend to do this as I complete my grading for various assignments). To shift some of the responsibility to the student for communicating about their progress in the course, I plan to use a short survey I will send out every other week that will ask students to reflect on their engagement with coursework (graded and ungraded) and then ask them to assess their likelihood of being successful in the class. 

These data can be collected using any survey software (i.e. Microsoft Forms, Qualtrics, or Google Forms a Blackboard Quiz) and will allow me to quickly to see trends in how students report themselves. In terms of looking closely at the data, I am most interested in two sets of results. I want to look at the responses for students: 

1. who are performing poorly based on the gradebook (missing assignments or doing poorly on them) to see how they assess themselves and; 
2. who indicate that they do not feel they can be successful in the course or are not sure. 

In both cases, I want to see if their self-assessment matches my assessment of them. I feel that a combination of their own self-assessment along with my grades will foster a more authentic conversation about their performance in the class moving forward. In doing so, I hope to be able to provide additional support students may need to be successful. I also imagine this will help me understand trends in the students’ engagement with the course readings and out-of-class assignments in ways that will allow me to offer whole class support with time management and reading strategies.