Most of the time I love teaching. While I prefer teaching face-to-face, I still like teaching online courses. Even with a crazy grading schedule, repetitive mistakes, and grouchy students, I still love what I do.
Some days the little frustrations seem to add up, and I wonder if I really make any difference at all. My submission policy for class assignments is listed on the syllabus for the course. It's repeated in a cute little weekly chart (there's a column that says where to put homework). In addition to those two explanations, I post a weekly "deliverables" chart that says where to put the item *again*.
One student, who either was having technical difficulty, or simply cannot pay attention, put an individual assignment in a public location. Generally, this is frowned upon, as it means the entire class can read their paper.
Most of the privacy rulings have to do with me making sure that graded assignments are only placed where the target student can view them.
Anyway, since that one student posted a paper in the wrong location, I've had other students asking if they too should put their assignments in the same place. So I posted a response to the whole class, and in two paragraphs told them where all assignments are supposed to be placed. I used small words, and I tried to be both polite and clear.
Ten minutes later, I had another student ask me where to post an assignment.
Seriously?
Online courses are completely text based. That means you have to be able to read. There is no magical voice in your ear to tell you what to do.
Inability to read instructions. Go directly to fail. Do not pass class. Do not collect diploma.
I managed to remain polite after the third and fourth request for submission locations. So that just means I have another 13 students to go.
At least they can't see me rolling my eyes.
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