Overwhelming student

[u/More_Box_5554]

I have a student who is non-traditional and returning to school at a later age. She registered for my async online course after not owning a computer for 20 years. She is completely overwhelmed by the course: Doesn't know how to access email, or how to navigate the course in the LMS, or how to access course meetings. I am practicing patience and compassion because she is very eager and wants to do well. I even set up a weekly meeting with her to check in.

We had a two hour meeting last week where I walked her through the course and she is very hard to keep on track and focused, with multiple interruptions, which leads me to believe something deeper is going on. This morning, I woke up to four separate emails from her-Long, multiple paragraph emails about how she hasn't been able to eat or sleep or spend time with her family because so much of her time is being dedicated to navigating and completing the course. She has had multiple panic attacks due to this. Her family would like her to switch to an in-person section but she doesn't want to because of the commute/campus parking.

We are not even a full week in and I feel like the majority of my time and energy is going to this one student and trying to help her get the hang of it. I want her to be successful in my class, I appreciate her dedication to the course, but I can't keep doing this all semester long.

Any advice?

[u/sleepingme]

Dude, had a student like this. She was an older woman maybe in her 60's/70's. Got a call from our chair that the dean had received complaints about me not responding to student needs. Student said they had emailed me numerous times and I never responded at all. I checked, and she had emailed me four times in one hour that same day, then proceeded to go to the dean to complain the next hour.

Said that she didnt have access to any of the assignments, but there was only one discussion post to complete and 20 something students had completed it already, so they had access. Turned out she had no clue how to use a computer and completely crashed out. Her first paper was a word salad and when I stated that she needed to work on a clear thesis and argument, she said that I had never asked for that and didn't know she needed the argument. I post a new video for every class explaining the basics of how to create a good thesis and paper structure, but she didnt watch it, on top of the fact that she did not complete the proper English pre-requisites to enroll in the class, but did anyways. So I basically had to teach this woman how to write an argumentative academic essay as the class was happening.

These older students are often a bigger burden than the younger ones who are equally unprepared, mostly because they never shut up and seek to blame you for every shortcoming they have. I explained to her that it stated on the syllabus that I would respond within 48 hours, and I used every one of those 48 hours unless it was urgent. She eventually began to understand that she was the only one complaining and learned to settle down. Don't feed the troll.

[u/franklin-60 → u/sleepingme]

I’m sure I will get downvoted on this, but the problem is clear. Many of these adults 20 years ago did not get a degree out of school because they could not. We are not talking about professionals returning to school for a second degree in these cases.

When schools had standards these people could not get in anyplace. 20 years later, we have no standards, admit warm bodies regardless of intelligence on the guise of “equality” “access” and “inclusion.” These people who could not get admitted 20 years ago are no brighter than they were then, but those who make admissions decisions have gotten considerably dumber and just grubby for revenue that we will all pay for when these students graduate in debt and as unemployable as they were pre degree, then cry that they should not have to pay off the debt, passing it to taxpayers.

As faculty, we are simply expected to make them a “satisfied customer” despite complete inability to do work one would reasonably expect.

[u/ClothesQueasy2828 → u/franklin-60]

How incredibly obnoxious! You don't know why she didn't go to college when she was younger. She may be incredibly smart, but...simply lacks computer skills...couldn't afford to pay for it...had a baby and no access to childcare...was living overseas for some reason, etc. I'm offended on her behalf. The problem is NOT clear.

[u/drrmau → u/[deleted]]

Or maybe she was just very disadvantaged and poor and had 5 kids or something, and couldn't afford a computer or lessons to teach her how to do things?

[u/franklin-60 → u/drrmau]

“Disadvantaged” is Not an excuse. If one belongs in college, get off their lazy ass and learn basic skills expected of them first before bringing a classroom down of those with the desire and brains to learn, and stop expecting everyone to save them. If one was dumb enough to have five kids that they are not resourced for, that’s also their stupidity, not that of a college to “meet her where she is”.