- Policy: Students must use their Maricopa Google account (not personal) to create assignments for this course.
- Procedure: Learning how to Share Google docs correctly for this course. Students must share so that "Anyone at Maricopa with the Link can edit." This is different than how many teachers ask students to share docs so it is a tricky point for my students who have used Google docs in other courses or hs.
- Skill: Understanding how sharing works in Google Docs and knowing which type of sharing is best for any given situation.
For me the procedure is most important, but for the student it's probably always the skill. Now that I see these written together, I realize that I'm focusing on the procedure, but might have better luck with students by focusing on the skill.
This is something that I introduce and teach in my getting started module. I reinforce on every assignment by linking back to the instructions in the getting started module.
Update:
What are the most important procedures at your schools?
We are asked every semester to remind students to register for the next semester. This very important step is sometimes confusing to students and can be completed in different ways. Students can register online, but many students don't know how to do this and register through an adviser. Some students I've talked to don't even pick their own courses, they go see an adviser and the adviser does everything for them.
Other important procedures would be how to print and how to get computer help.
How do students learn to navigate these ropes, even when the procedures are sometimes unwritten?
Most students just ask someone. They may ask me and if I don't know, I'll ask the class. Sometimes information about procedures can be found on the school website.
What happens when students are unsuccessful at picking up important procedures?
Students who can't figure out important procedures usually are unsuccessful.