Increased non-submission rates?

[Themildannnoyanceofsmaug]

Has anyone esle found their numbers of non-submitting UGs has increased hugely this winter?

One of my third year courses is currently missing over a quarter of the essays due in today (and it isn't a small course). I've never known such a low submission rate, and wondering if its a particular trend this winter (I know there have been a lot of health, motivation, and organisation struggles this year*) or just one of those random blips.

Nope, last year was awful. This year has been so much better.

So far this year, ourfirst year seems to be really good submission rates, but final year seems to have lots of problems... hard to tell if they're just an unlucky cohort or if there's wider post-covid issues going on?

Hmmmmm interesting!

Last year I found our first years really struggled to settle into attending, and their work wasn't great, but usually not too late in, whilst the later years were OK.

I'm only teaching third years this year, and the numbers really struggling are surprising. It feels like they just can't manage everything, and it has come to a head over Christmas as the reality of deadlines has hit. Our PS staff had to put an automated response on to deal with the volume of emails yesterday as they couldn't get through them all.

I wonder whether the pressures of finishing and moving on combined with trying to suddenly guild CVs they haven't been as able to is having an effect. They are so apologetic too, and clearly trying and frustrated rather than not bothering.

Have you looked at the distribution of hand in deadlines for the course? Are these realistic/ had anything hanged/is it normal for 3rd years to struggle?

In my experience this cohort (Year 3) got used to self-awarded extensions that universities were allowing during the pandemic and now can't work to deadlines at all. The first years don't have this problem and have been able to get work in on time.

Yes, we've just had our first semester exam boards and the reports from the first year modules was that they were much closer to something resembling business as usual. The later years are doing better than this time last year but still not quite there.

(I'm talking across the board in terms of performance and engagement, I don't see details of submissions for CA work.)

@kscience our students have a lot of freedom to select modules, so sometimes the pressure is on them to ensure that they can manage the workload they select for themselves. Based on a few conversations this year, I suspect they could do with more support in this as some front load their year to the point where the workload is too great.

I shall keep my fingers crossed that this volume this year is a blip and @GCAcademic that fills me with hope! The work I have had in has patterns of serious failure in referencing abilities and basics that should be secure by now (and were in last year's third years). It's interesting to consider how the pandemic cohort may manifest differently at different points.

I still have some extensions running nearly a month after the work was due in, and some who have just not submitted. But then I also sympathise with the feel of general knackeredness coming across in the writing. 😊