Students Procrastinate
Establish deadlines for each project and activity ahead of time. You can always waive or alter deadlines, but it's difficult to add requirements later.
Establish Deadlines. It's probably not surprising that a disturbingly large number of students will not do assignments until they are under pressure from a firm due date. Again, this situation is exaggerated in the distance learning environment. Because you are not able to see students regularly, look them in the eye, and remind them to get the work done on time, even good students wait until the last minute. E-mail reminders do not have the same impact, even if you take the time to send them on a timely basis. Also, students will not always read your messages when you expect them to.
Use a Course Calendar. Use a course calendar as the core page of your course and include reading and requirement links as well as specific due dates. It's a good idea to give students a printed version of the course calendar. Start with firm due dates and provide reminders. Encourage students to turn in projects early rather than on the due dates. Use peer pressure, guilt and competition or whatever it takes to your advantage by praising good work on your discussion list. When students do good work, include a quote or sample of their work in an online discussion. Encourage students to conduct peer reviews and share their experiences. This type of interaction encourages students to get their work in on time.
Provide Good Models. In a traditional classroom, students get many opportunities to share their ideas with others. They see the work that others are completing and talk to students who have already taken the course. Look for examples that are by students, for students. Provide students with student models, student ezine articles, or student award winning website that they can examine or evaluate.
Keep It Firm but Flexible. Although a web-based course is a great opportunity for a truly self-paced individualized learning environment, we've found that very few students have the self-discipline to set their own deadlines and complete a course in a reasonable amount of time. This is particularly true when they are taking other courses that contain firm due dates and requirements. It's easy to put the "flexible" course on the back burner and it never seems to get promoted to the front burner.
Adapted from Virtual Sandcastles: Teaching and Learning at a Distance by Annette Lamb and William L. Smith.