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[peitho]

So, barely a week into online summer classes, and as soon as they get the grades, they email whinging about how anything less than an "A" is unacceptable.

Any cool formulas for dealing with these types of online students?  I give comments based on how well they articulate the concept, and the originality of their examples, as well as encouraging remarks and a healthy dose of respect for anyone who answers the more difficult essay questions.  And there are rubrics, but that doesn't stop the B and A- students from whinging about their unacceptable grades.  (I am far more sympathetic to the C's, as I perceive their notes as more legitimate.)

I'm reluctant to cop out and go to a knowledge-only where every answer is right or wrong, as this usually results in lower grades. 

Also a system in which many other profs equate "did the assignment" with an automatic "A".

[changinggears]

How about having the students assess themselves using the rubric?  If someone disagrees with their grade, require them to fill in the rubric indicating what they think their level of performance was for each criterion and then write a paragraph or two supporting their assessment with specific examples.  That will either shut them up or make them take an honest look at their work.  If a student actually follows through but feeds you a bunch of horse sh*t, provide them with an anonymous sample of A quality work and point out the differences between what they think is A-level and what really is A-level, again using the rubric as a reference point ("see here how this student addressed criterion X thoroughly with three examples and you only gave one example, which according to the rubric is C-level" or what-have-you).

[polly_mer]

I agree with Changinggears.  Anyone may request a regrade on anything, but the request must be accompanied by a solid case that draws on the rubric to argue for more points/higher grade.

See how many people take you up on the offer.  I seldom have any for anything except an arithmetic error on my part.

The downside of doing that is the complaints just move to my evaluations.  "I didn't understand what she wanted and the grading was too harsh" tends to show up in my evaluations at a rate consistent with people who make at least one inquiry into how to raise a pretty good grade into an excellent grade.

[peitho]

I like Changing Gears suggestion, too.  I think I was hoping I could wave a magic wand and make them go away!

I sent a long email in the meantime and the persistent one actually critiqued my critique and refuted one point successfully (my error).  So I may have to go provide a sample of A-quality work in order to demonstrate that Persistent's is not. And it really is a question of pretty good versus excellent.

Perhaps it's just the immediacy of online grading...
 

[untenured]

Can you delay publication of online grading?  I have no online teaching experience, but I imagine it's possible to grade material and then sit on the results for a week before making the evaluations public.

I'd speculate that a grading rubric is ignored by most students and used by a persistent few against the instructor.  Engaging in an extended dialogue with your students, who likely just care about boosting grades and not whether they are incorrect or not, will likely just produce headaches.

[larryc]

Post an example if an A paper from a student in a previous course. To appeal, students must write a short memo with specific examples from each paper, proving why their essay is as good as the.model essay.

[snowbound]

I like LarryC's suggestion--especially because it can be done without entering a long conversation with grade-grubber.  Responding with a "long email" will likely just encourage further whining.  Remember you don't have to justify your actions, because it's not YOUR actions that are under discussion (or it shouldn't be).  It's the student's assignment.  You don't give a student a grade, after all.  You merely record the grade that the student has earned.  So, if you have the time and patience, by all means discuss with the student their assignment, the standard that is expected,  and how he or she can improve their performance (with some indications of how this would impact their grade).  But it's their performance as a student that should be under discussion, not your performance as a grader.

[polly_mer]

Post an example if an A paper from a student in a previous course. To appeal, students must write a short memo with specific examples from each paper, proving why their essay is as good as the.model essay.

A caveat on doing this is not to use an A paper on the same topic that you will use later in this course.  Then, the whining becomes "But I followed the exact same format as the example, but I only got a B-" because what was creative in one paper (i.e., the factor that propels the solid work B into an A) is no longer creative when three-quarters of the class follows a formula in an effort to get an A.

[hulkhogan]

I'm thinking through my response as I type this, so please forgive me any incongruencies...

I teach online and grade very strictly. I am also in a department where almost all senior colleagues hand out A's for simply completing an assignment. That alone should lead to a lot of complaining, but it doesn't. In the past three years, I have had fewer than a handful complaints about grades. I'm not trying to brag here; far from it. Instead, I'm trying to think about what I might be doing that prevents the grade grubbing and could help the OP.

Yes, I do use rubrics. I refer students to rubrics at all times. For example, when I return graded assignments, I always send out another message to the entire class that I will take any questions about the grade seriously but that I can do so only if students point to specific sections on the rubric. Referring student to the rubric tends to cut down on the complaints A LOT. Strangely enough, inviting them to ask questions has the same effect. Maybe it's reverse psychology--they don't question grades because everything is out in the open, and they're assumption that I may be out to get them doesn't fly.

I also use percentage grades instead of A-F. The point deductions are again linked to the rubric. (BTW, in my field, M/S or T/F tests are worthless. My students write papers, essays, and answer questions in several sentences.) At the beginning of the semester and several times throughout, I remind students why my assignments look the way they are and what benefits they can reap.

When grading an assignment, I write extensive margin comments and immediately indicate the point deduction. It helps to see the point deduction right next to the comment. My final comments tend to be short. I summarize what the student did well and then offer suggestions for future improvement. No more mention of mistakes or deductions. End on a positive note.

Part of what I have learned is that although students appreciate the easy A from my senior colleagues, they hate hate hate the fact that they never get any praise or any feedback from them. Providing them with both has been very useful in curtailing complaining, too.

YMMV.

[peitho]

@untenured, I can delay grade release for exams in Blackboard, but regular assignments (weekly discussion + individual essay) go out as soon as I enter grades in the gradebook.

And Snowbound reminds me that I am not the one being scrutinized here, so I'd better act like the grader that I am and be more forceful with this particular student, who is of the "everyone can earn an A" persuasion.

I have been careful to give positive feedback with suggestions for improvement with all assignments to date, and will continue to do so.  I think it's more important in online classes, precisely because it's rare to get the same sense of community you do in an on-the-ground class.

Student is quiet today, but you can bet I'll be stamping out fires next round, armed with helpful suggestions.

[prof_cj]

I give my online students the same response I give to my in-class students;

"You got the grade that you earned with your effort and work.  If you really have an issue, take it up with the department chair and go through the appropriate channels."