¶ … Grade Reports from Teachers
In the busy world of academia, there never seems to be enough hours in the day. This creates a significant challenge for instructors who often fail to update and post student grades in a timely fashion. This is problematic. Grades matter to students and are the barometer by which students assess their skills and performance in a class. Students are entitled to know where they stand in a class at all times. Therefore, instructors should take seriously their responsibility to provide on-going feedback in a timely fashion. In fact, it is my position that this should be mandatory.
The most important reason there should be mandatory timelines for grade submission is because grades are a key indicator of performance for students and signal how well or poorly his/her performance truly is. If grades are not updated regularly, students may have a false sense of security or spend unnecessary time stressing about their performance in a class when there may not be a reason to. Without adequate grades and feedback from instructors as a guide post, students are left to assume or guess how they are progressing in a course. This is unfair and can lead to frustrations...
Grade ambiguity can also lead to poor instructor/student relations where instructors are viewed as having a great deal of power and students are left wringing their hands hoping they are not failing.
Without grades, students cannot self-identify areas of improvement. All instructors have a duty to not only teach, but coach and assist their pupils in areas where they may be falling short. If that awareness comes to students too late, they do not have the time they need to solicit additional assistance in the form of tutors, study groups, extended personal study, or perhaps extra assistance from the instructor. Without a recent grade update, it is hard to determine whether or not such additional help is even warranted. With other major demands on a college student's time, additional study is often not a major concern unless it is clear there is a problem. In short, grades help signal academic challenges. Instructor's therefore should be required to provide weekly updates on assignments that include both grades and periodic qualitative feedback about ways to improve or call out areas where…
