Progress Reports from students are a key to connection

Creating a progress report assignment offers a low-stakes way for students to own their tasks while we stay looped in on their work. My students have turned in three so far (due every Tuesday by 6:00 am), which helps me keep in touch with every project.

Why I Needed Progress Reports

My 380: Public Relations Techniques students work with clients across campus to promote their services, social events, and value to students. While my class meets three days a week, we typically spend that time workshopping specific elements (re: creating a press release template) and reviewing case studies. As a result, I don’t prioritize a lot of time in class to check in with each student on their progress for the final project.

Assignment Overview

Each progress report is graded Pass/Fail, and they need to pass 10/12 submissions to earn credit for their Grading Bundle. I am looking for a professional effort and three specifications to pass.

1. Express 1 goal related to progress by describing--

   1. What tasks need to happen

   2. How the tasks will be completed

   3. When the tasks will be completed

2. Reflect on 1 accomplishment from the prior week related to the client goals

3. Submit the report to Canvas by the posted deadline.

Progress Reports may be submitted as text, video, or audio files. Students who submit text format write an email to practice updating a supervisor about project milestones (which is likely via email or chat).

A sample progress report that helped me feel confident in the students project so far.

An Unexpected Benefit

When students don’t submit a progress report, it is a signal for me to reach out specifically. During Week 2, this scenario played out: the student missed the report, and I emailed them directly. As a result, they disclosed some personal challenges, and I could support and accommodate the situation. Since then, the student has been more open to reaching out to me and completing work at higher levels than before.

A sample progress report where I provided some feedback on email writing to help the student with skill-building

This simple assignment takes me mere minutes to grade yet allows me to comment, check-in, and uncover potential issues to address before they become barriers. Even if my future classes do not have such large-scale projects as 380, I will use weekly progress reports to encourage goal setting, task completion, and supportive monitoring with my students.

Download the assignment template to connect with your students in a quick and valuable way.

ProgressReport_Template

.docx

Download DOCX • 19KB

Vibes,

Hayley