It is 5:30 am when she gets up, and by 6:30, she is off to work. She knows it will be a long day ahead and is committed to any nursing duties she may have to perform. Her dedication to this profession started over two decades ago. While driving to work, she reflects on last night and her inability to hug her children and her husband when she arrived home, knowing that embracing them could place them at risk. In her mind, she knows she has to be extra careful at work. She is also studying, and the thought of the assignment coming due hangs over her head. She has never turned in an assignment late; however, she is on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she emailed her tutor last night to ask for permission to submit her assignment late. In her email, she explained to the tutor that the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant upheaval at work, which has increased her work hours significantly, giving her limited time to complete the assignment by the due date. In her email response, the tutor says, "Okay." That night she ends her duty at 10:00 pm. In total, she has worked for 16 hours in this one day. She comes home and goes through her routine to ensure all the necessary safety precautions are done before entering the house. She hurries to the bathroom while her husband gets her something to eat. After eating, she goes to the computer and starts working on her assignment. She signs off at 11:30 pm because she knows her day will start again at 5:30.
She was able to submit her assignment two days late. Upon receiving the feedback on the assignment submitted, she had ten points deducted for lateness. She can't believe what she is seeing and mentions this to her husband, a seasoned online instructor. He is also shocked by this and advises her to email the tutor to reiterate her initial circumstance. Within twenty-four hours, her tutor replies. Her husband listens to the summary of the email in disbelief. In summary, the email message states that all of her classmates, including the tutor, are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. It does not matter; the assignment is late. The tutor also states that there is a late policy reflected in the rubric. Also, she states that she is consistent with her grading, and the late penalty was applied to all students who submitted late. The tutor then suggests that she call her academic advisor. Her husband is astonished by what he is hearing. In his mind, he ponders how his wife could be on the front line every day to fight COVID-19 and have another battle advocating for her grades.
In another situation, a few years ago, one professor found himself in a predicament. After he had not heard from a student regarding an assignment, he decided that he would ask student support to assist him in locating this student who had not submitted her work for grading. His main objective was to complete his grading and reports to collect his compensation for the course he had taught. The support team was able to locate the student's number. They called the number, and her husband answered and identified himself. The support team member told her husband that the instructor was concerned that his wife had not submitted her final project. Her husband informed the support team of the passing of his wife. From that day, the professor has become more aware of the possible life-changing events that students can experience and his need to take a different approach in supporting his students.
On reflection, these two cases are classic examples of where the rubric and procedural responsibilities can somewhat destroy an instructor's ability to apply humanity to life changing events. A critical component missing in some online classes today is emotional presence. A tutor who exhibits emotional presence is consciously aware of the social context in which students are working. The tutor also makes the necessary connections to reassure, motivate, and facilitate a positive learning environment.
Conclusion Avoid applying the late penalty to students without understanding their contextual situation. Death, COVID-19, and other life-changing events can take place. Therefore, before citing the rubric statement(s), consider the students' context and bring it to the forefront of your humanity. Let's support our online learners. They are going through troubling times, and some are battling to save lives on the front line. The life they save could be yours.
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