So a couple weeks ago several students had their labs
cancelled due to power outages on campus for some reason. Bummer. I personally
was not one of those affected, but I understand their plight.
Still, the university needs to make up for the missed
sessions, and they can’t afford to spend extra money. This creates a bit of a problem, since the
tutorial required people utilise website-writer program NVU, and most people
simply don’t have that. However, as far as I’m aware the school does have the
ability to make its software (or a trail of it anyway) available for student
use, though they can’t offer technical support. Thus, there is in fact a simple
solution.
While everybody who missed their lab date heads home to
use their own machines, the TAs for the lab sections can send emails to the
students they normally have. In these emails would be a list of instructions and
a download url for the NVU installer. Once the student opens their email, they
can download and install the program, allowing them to follow the instructions
as laid out in the emails. Given the directions were already in PowerPoint form
for the tutorials that occurred, making them available to students is very
easy, and doable by either attaching the PowerPoint as well or simply copying
it out into the email body. While immediate response to concerns isn’t really
possible in this medium, the instructions are relatively simple and shouldn’t
cause too much concern. In the event of truly crippling problems, however, the
student can send a reply email for assistance with their specific plight.
There are a few reasons this is acceptable as a
substitute for a missed class. For one, the EWS assignment (the topic of the
missed tutorials) was due one way or another; depriving the students of the
ability to work on it is unfair if it’s due one way or another. Whether they
work on the assignment in their own homes or campus computers, they are held to
the same standards. In fact, they’d benefit from this decision greatly, since
it allows them access to the software from home as well. (This may mean you
have to make the software available to everyone, in the interest of fairness,
but the same applies.)
The main problem with not having the students themselves in
class comes from the attendance marks, as given out by the TAs at the end of
ever session. They do deserve credit for their work, but they shouldn’t be given
the TA password for their tutorials to prevent abuse. Instead, simply give them
a credit for that in their next tutorial (meaning they’d get 2 in one day). Everybody makes up for what they’re out,
assignments get done, and lost time is recovered. Thus everything is as it
should be.
So, that’s just my two cents’ worth on this little
issue. You’ll be hearing more from me
again soon (the powers that be guarantee it!), but for now… ciao.
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