Do you think lecturers hold lack of attendance against you?

jripper

Ok. So, do you think lecturers hold it against you for not attending lectures/tutorials? I know some people attend everything (fairplay), some may not attend at all and do the work in their own time, some may just not bother doing anything and others may have a genuine prior commitment so they can't attend but still do the work, to each his own etc.
I recently emailed a lecturer asking for a simple essay misunderstanding to be cleared up, and received a semi-snooty reply saying that if i had attended class more I wouldn't have this problem... well i'm quite aware of that i'm at a disadvantage when not attending but i simply can't attend. I knew i wouldn't be able to attend at the start of the semester but still picked the module as i feel it's invaluable to my course. I would just hope that lecturers wouldn't hold such a grudge against a student which would then be reflected in their grade. Anyone have any similar experience??

parker kent

It is natural that some may show more favour to people who they know attend classes.

tony007

How would they know if you were attending or not if there were, for example, 100 students in the theatre? And how would they know your name/ what you look like?

ironclaw

tony007 wrote: »

How would they know if you were attending or not if there were, for example, 100 students in the theatre? And how would they know your name/ what you look like?

Some lecturers take attendance or look up BlackBoard usage stats.

parker kent

Also the OP says tutorials, which normally have attendance taken as well. And as is said above, many lecturers take attendance.

Plus the OPs question may have made it obvious that they were not attending.

LUPE

I don't think they'd hold a grudge when marking exams etc as they are anonymous afaik.

However, if you're emailing them in the last few weeks looking for help preparing for the exam then it's understandable that they may be reluctant to do so if you haven't bothered your arse going to their classes all semester.

jripper

Are the exam correction procedures anonymous?

tony007

ironclaw wrote: »

Some lecturers take attendance or look up BlackBoard usage stats.

Really? Wow! When you say ''take attendance'', do you mean a roll call?

parker kent

tony007 wrote: »

Really? Wow! When you say ''take attendance'', do you mean a roll call?

Pass a sheet around and sign your name on it.

Raphael

Yes, the corner flap on the answerbook where you put your name isn't opened during the correction.

RandomName2

jripper wrote: »

Ok. So, do you think lecturers hold it against you for not attending lectures/tutorials? I know some people attend everything (fairplay), some may not attend at all and do the work in their own time, some may just not bother doing anything and others may have a genuine prior commitment so they can't attend but still do the work, to each his own etc.
I recently emailed a lecturer asking for a simple essay misunderstanding to be cleared up, and received a semi-snooty reply saying that if i had attended class more I wouldn't have this problem... well i'm quite aware of that i'm at a disadvantage when not attending but i simply can't attend. I knew i wouldn't be able to attend at the start of the semester but still picked the module as i feel it's invaluable to my course. I would just hope that lecturers wouldn't hold such a grudge against a student which would then be reflected in their grade. Anyone have any similar experience??

If you do really well it doesn't matter either way.

If you do okay it... might be significant.

If you do absolute terrible (I mean N/G) then it certainly won't matter!

If you are borderline fail it will make a huge amount of difference.

(P.S. it's much more important with tutors who are likely to know you by name - lecturues are only likely to check if you have only *just* failed).

graduate

If you register for a course then you are expected to attend it, if you don't wish to attend then don't do that course and instead leave a place for someone with more interest.

If you do really well it doesn't matter either way.
If you do okay it... might be significant.
If you do absolute terrible (I mean N/G) then it certainly won't matter!
If you are borderline fail it will make a huge amount of difference

.

Sometimes attendance is marked as detailed in the course outline. If not, the above sounds about right.

ironclaw

From what I heard, and its by no means fact, as said above. If you "just" fail they'll take your attendance at labs, tutorials or lectures into account. It can only but help your case. Personally I just don't see why people don't go to assigned lectures etc. Seems odd to me.

MullerMan

Obviously if you do crap and are looking for a second chance, attendance would be one of the benchmarks they'd have to decide whether you're genuine or not and whether or not it's likely that you're willing to put in the effort.

They always say attendance in lectures is linked to results, and generally, they're right. Even though it can be mind numbingly boring, things do sink in.

parker kent

RandomName2 wrote: »

(P.S. it's much more important with tutors who are likely to know you by name - lecturues are only likely to check if you have only *just* failed).

The size of the class will influence that. If there are 50 or less, the lecturer is more likely to know who you are. And classes where the lecturer looks for class participation are another area where lecturers are likely to know names.

taz70

jripper wrote: »

I knew i wouldn't be able to attend at the start of the semester but still picked the module as i feel it's invaluable to my course.

This is ridiculous. So you think the course is invaluable, just not SO invaluable that you actually feel the need to turn up to class to listen to the content that supposed to be so important to you.

So what precisely are you getting from the course?

Maybe just read a book on the topic next time and save yourself the inconvenience of doing assessments - and as a PP said, let someone have the place who actually wants to be there.

(Personally, if I were a lecturer, I'd not want to help anyone who doesn't come to class on a regular basis. I mean, it's not like they're paid to offer individual tutorials for each student - if they are, why bother having lectures.)

And you don't think lecturers can just open the exam booklet flap when marking - or, I dunno, just look up the student number on the class list? It's hardly an "anonymous" system.

Rosita

MullerMan wrote: »

They always say attendance in lectures is linked to results, and generally, they're right. Even though it can be mind numbingly boring, things do sink in.

I imagine good attendance in lectures/tutorials foreshadows good results simply because those who are attending more often will probably tend to be more interested and will therefore probably tend to study more and do better as a result. Not sure it's just a case that if you show up and retain a pulse for the duration something sinks in.

Rosita

jripper wrote: »

Ok. So, do you think lecturers hold it against you for not attending lectures/tutorials?

Do tutorials not have a specific mark going for attendance? If so then it's not a matter of the caprice of a lecturer, more a simple statement of fact regarding attendance.

Zuffer

In the circumstance that the OP lays out, I think the lecturer is completely right to respond they way he/she did.

It sounds like the OP had a question that, had he been at lectures, he wouldn't have needed to ask. That is probably how the lecturer knew he wasn't there.

As far as I'm aware, attendance at lectures is technically compulsory, for the vast majority of modules, even those that don't take attendance or give marks for attendance.
IMHO, the lecturer should be under no obligation to repeat himself, and answer questions multiple times, for some one who isn't going to lectures.

I don't think a lecturer would deliberately mark someone down on an essay or exam question just because they were not at lectures, and I don't think it would be right if they did, but that's not what the OP described.

jripper

taz70 wrote: »

This is ridiculous. So you think the course is invaluable, just not SO invaluable that you actually feel the need to turn up to class to listen to the content that supposed to be so important to you.

So what precisely are you getting from the course?

Maybe just read a book on the topic next time and save yourself the inconvenience of doing assessments - and as a PP said, let someone have the place who actually wants to be there.

(Personally, if I were a lecturer, I'd not want to help anyone who doesn't come to class on a regular basis. I mean, it's not like they're paid to offer individual tutorials for each student - if they are, why bother having lectures.)

And you don't think lecturers can just open the exam booklet flap when marking - or, I dunno, just look up the student number on the class list? It's hardly an "anonymous" system.

All high horses aside, simply put the module is invaluable to my course as the all of the material provided is extremely relevant, and so the module will enhance my degree. I have to give credit to the module coordinator as the module is so well put together and all the material is available on blackboard, if only every module was the same. However i simply cant attend as i have to go home thursday evenings to work, so i learn the module through blackboard as best i can in my own time, i completed my assignment on time and basically i love the module. I just fear that the lecturer may be typing me a the waster student and fear being marked down because of this.

Raphael

jripper wrote: »

All high horses aside, simply put the module is invaluable to my course as the all of the material provided is extremely relevant, and so the module will enhance my degree. I have to give credit to the module coordinator as the module is so well put together and all the material is available on blackboard, if only every module was the same. However i simply cant attend as i have to go home thursday evenings to work, so i learn the module through blackboard as best i can in my own time, i completed my assignment on time and basically i love the module. I just fear that the lecturer may be typing me a the waster student and fear being marked down because of this.

See that thing you just said? Say it to the lecturer. Then they might rethink helping you. Otherwise, you may be **** out of luck.

RandomName2

jripper wrote: »

a simple essay misunderstanding

This really is the salient bit. Any specifics?

jripper

RandomName2 wrote: »

This really is the salient bit. Any specifics?

The essay title could have been taken in two ways, and of course doing it the wrong way would yield a bad result or even a fail. Anyway, i was just curious to see if anyone had any similar experience. Thanks for the replies, now i'm going to go blow the lecturer away... with a brilliantly written essay! Later

aine92

ironclaw wrote: »

Some lecturers take attendance or look up BlackBoard usage stats.

No way, they can check when you log on??

WeeBushy

aine92 wrote: »

No way, they can check when you log on??

They can check when you access information from blackboard. Not sure if they can check when you log in, but if they can see the info we've accessed I wouldn't be surprised tbh.

parker kent

WeeBushy wrote: »

They can check when you access information from blackboard. Not sure if they can check when you log in, but if they can see the info we've accessed I wouldn't be surprised tbh.

Yeah your every movement can be tracked on it, they should say that to more people!

Bannasidhe

Having worked as a lecturer (not at UCD but at another NUI) I may be able to clarify:

If there is a continuous assessment portion of the module (the book of modules will say if so and what percentage) and a student doesn't attend then this will be taken into account when allocating marks. You cannot assess the work of someone who isn't there!

Most lecturers simply mark what is in front of them-the criteria is how well the student answered the specific question asked. So if a student fails to address the specific question asked - marks will be deducted. If they are totally 'off topic' they can fail-even if it is a well written essay. Failure to answer the question asked is one of the most common problems.

Most lecturers also don't take any notice of who wrote the essay-it is just one of a pile to be corrected-once its done, the mark is recorded and then move on to the next in the pile.

Yes, exams are anonymous. Yes, technically the lecturer can get the kettle out and steam open the flap to see who the student was... no lecturer in their right mind, when faced with piles of scripts and a tight deadline, is going to waste time doing this. Mark it, record the mark against the exam number on a spreadsheet and move on to the next script. We are all far more concerned to make sure we have all the scripts we should have ( I have often had over 200 x 2 for core modules plus the various modules I teach alone ) then wondering which student wrote it.

If the lecturer gave a semi-snotty reply it is most likely because she/he spent a great deal of time dealing with questions about the topic in class - which fecks with the lecture schedule - and then got frustrated to be emailed about it by a student who didn't attend class.

On average lecturers are allocated 24 hours per semester per 5 credit module to cover the main topics. In reality some of these hours are going to be 'lost' due to various reasons beyond the lecturer's control -bank holiday Mondays/ Paddy's Day etc etc. The actual lecture time is also more like 50 minutes to allow students to get there/leave for next class. This means that the lecturer has to distil the important themes into manageable 50 minute lecture sized portions -thumbnail sketches- and then rely on the student to take their study beyond what the lecturer can cover in class. This does mean that what is covered in class are the very,very important foundations for students to build on.

We are also inundated with emails - usually of the my granny died/ dog ate my laptop variety - as deadlines approach quite often from students we may have seen only in once a blue moon. It is frustrating in the extreme.

However, essays/scripts are usually corrected as stand-alone pieces of work. I say 'usually' only because I have not spoken to every,single lecturer in the country...

parker kent

Just to add to the above, many essays are actually corrected by tutors in UCD and they will pretty often know exactly who you are. And I have anecdotal evidence of different tutors having different methods of correcting essays. So some will take outside factors into account.

For example, they see a name on an essay that they like. They may subconsciously grade that essay less severely than the name of somebody they know never shows up. Obviously most will correct them as a pile of anonymous essays, but others will not.

Given that tutors are often students themselves, that is the main area that I would see such issues actually happening. The assessment format used in UCD can leave grading open to occasional quirks or personality.

Bannasidhe

True - some modules do use tutors to correct assignments BUT a random selection of these will be checked by the lecturer to ensure consistency.

Sierra Oscar

They most definitely do I reckon - I am in a module where the lecturer last week announced she would be taking attendance from here on in due to what she referred to as the disgraceful lack of attendance at lectures.

She is also our tutor, and she basically said at our last tutorial that they can tell those who are attending lectures from those who only show up at the tutorial. Im not going to worry about it all that much though . . . another lecturer of mine referred to her as a drama queen.

parker kent

Bannasidhe wrote: »

True - some modules do use tutors to correct assignments BUT a random selection of these will be checked by the lecturer to ensure consistency.

Nonetheless, tutors do hold power. Particularly in certain subjects such as English.

Rosita

parker kent wrote: »

And I have anecdotal evidence of different tutors having different methods of correcting essays.

This is a very frustrating aspect of essays. I did an essay and was told that it would have benefitted immensely from having sub-headings to break up the ideas. Then I was penalised in another essay by a different person for doing just that - the view was that my headings should have been new sentences at the start of the next paragraph rather than headings. It is annoying as it makes no odds to me whether I do sub-headings or not - I was merely responding to advice in providing them. Incidentally both people were lecturers.

parker kent

Rosita wrote: »

This is a very frustrating aspect of essays. I did an essay and was told that it would have benefitted immensely from having sub-headings to break up the ideas. Then I was penalised in another essay by a different person for doing just that - the view was that my headings should have been new sentences at the start of the next paragraph rather than headings. It is annoying as it makes no odds to me whether I do sub-headings or not - I was merely responding to advice in providing them. Incidentally both people were lecturers.

And that can happen to two people doing the same essay in the same module. One tutor has one notion and the other has a different one. Which shows the benefit of going to class and finding out what is expected by the person correcting the essay (not a dig at the OP, just a general comment).

Red Alert

If the lecturer is giving out the required info in the class, why don't you go along instead of sending them e-mails and complaining about "snotty" replies?

aine92

parker kent wrote: »

Yeah your every movement can be tracked on it, they should say that to more people!

Doesn't effect me but jesus, you think they'd tell you that!

I have an absolutely crap tutor for one module and its a really tough module and she has no idea what she's talking about, doesn't know the material, doesn't have the materials we need for the end of tutorial test which counts for 80% overall of the tutorials and I emailed my lecturer and I got a really snotty reply saying to mind my own business, these are PHD students and maybe if I went to my lectures I'd be better informed, and I NEVER miss this module's lectures! Some lecturers are just rude and don't care.

mloc

UCD is not in general a distance-learning college. Attendance is technically mandatory at all lectures and as such, it is likely a lecturer would not appreciate regular skipping of lectures by students.

Pride Fighter

mloc wrote: »

UCD is not in general a distance-learning college. Attendance is technically mandatory at all lectures and as such, it is likely a lecturer would not appreciate regular skipping of lectures by students.

I went to all my classes in 1st year. I then only went to about 10% of classes after that. I preferred that, working on my own was better IMO. I learned how to think for myself, rather than just write what I think the lecturer wants to hear. Too much emphasis is placed on attendance. What is important is to read, write and formulate you're own opinion.

parker kent

You can read, write and formulate your own opinion without skipping classes. Going to a lecture isn't going to turn you into an automaton. All it will do is further your exposure to the topic.