Those Early Discussion Posting Bonus Points

The results are in!
As mentioned in my last Blog, I offered additional points to those students who posted early (days before the Unit Discussion closing deadline).
Students were notified of the additional points in News and in an Email.

The results were not what I was hoping for.
Ironically a few people posted early who did not do so for the first 3 Units.
However, the number of people who had completed their Primary Research Post within the “Early Posting Time Frame” was minimal and no larger in number than those that posted early when no bonus was being offered.

I asked myself: Why would people not take advantage of an incentive being offered, especially close to the end of a semester when many people are beginning to focus on their final letter grades?

Here are 3 things I have concluded based on my observation of Student Progress, Content Areas Viewed as well as responses to specific questions that I have been asking when students call me on the phone for assistance.

1. The most accessed Course Content Page for my Course is the 15 week schedule.
In fact, a few people who have spent very little time logged onto the course have only accessed that course page.
2. On the phone many students have told me that they do not access the Course via the Home Page. They go directly to specific areas that are linked whenever they logon on to the system. Those links might be for new “Discussion Posts Available” or new “Lab Feedback Available”.
3. It appears that the majority of students do not explore all the course pages. Most of them don’t “look around”.
Apparently, News is not being viewed by most students and definitely not on a regular basis.

Another conclusion is that a lot of students are not reading their Emails.
Some reason(s) could be that:
1. Students are overwhelmed with the number of new Emails when they go to that area.
2. They don’t bother to check Email or they are too busy and in a hurry to do so.
3. Emails are “hidden” by frames and therefore students are not noticing many of them because they never took advantage of their Instructor’s Email Setting Tips.

Whatever the reasons, it appears that Emails and News, (which are in my opinion the 2 most important Instructor/Student Communication Tools), are not being read to the degree that this Instructor would like.

Since the “15 week schedule” tends to be the most accessed list of stated course deadlines then it makes sense that people are going to the Discussion area on the final due date that appears on the schedule.
A surprise “Early Posting Incentive” is not a consideration or an option because the students who rely only on the 15 week schedule don’t even know about it.

In my ongoing effort to get the majority of students to post early, thereby avoiding the “50 or more” new posts written hours or minutes before the deadline, for the upcoming final Unit Discussion this semester I will also post an alert for the incentive points right at the top of the Discussion area. Let’s see what happens.

Here is another option: For upcoming semesters, in the Discussion Post criteria and in the Discussions Info/Rubric Course Document, there could be stated requirements that for full points, a Primary Post must be done within the first week of a new Unit.
While an option, I’d prefer to figure a way to encourage early posting rather than focus on penalties.
Also a possibility is to mention bonus points in the 15 week schedule however we have always tried to keep this document uncluttered and to-the-point when it comes to due dates.

If you have any ideas, please share. Thank you!
Lorrie