When Assigning Online Homework

Those of us who love technologies come up with many wonderful ways to enhance our teaching  and the learning of our students. There are so many sites and applications that fit perfectly with course content. This is perfect for our classrooms that have access to the sites, digital equipment, and applications we want to use. It’s not always fine for homework. That’s why we must keep reminding ourselves that not all students have the same access, digital equipment, and software at home as they do in school. Sure, some may have better access, but think of those who share a family computer, aren’t allowed online, may not have an up-to-date computer, may not have fast Internet access, may not have a working computer and/or printer, may not have the applications or tech equipment needed, etc.  We’ve all heard excuses such as, “I couldn’t print my paper because my printer was out of ink”, “I couldn’t email it to you because our Internet was down”, and “I didn’t have any way to record the sound or do the video.”  It’s always difficult to tell whether these are legitimate excuses, whether students are too embarrassed to tell you that they don’t have what they need at home, or whether they blaming technology is a good way to avoid penalties for not doing assignments. So what’s the answer? Send us your ideas.