Sandy Keeter is an Associate Professor in Seminole State College’s Information Technology Department in Florida
The Progress App is my favorite MindTap feature. The Progress app contains a gradebook that provides powerful data about engagement and class progression. You can also view your learning profile. This allows students to see where they are at all times, both as an individual and in comparison to others in the class.
My previous challenge was identifying and communicating with struggling students. The Progress App is a one stop shop. It allows me to identify areas that may be troubling the entire class as well as see how each student is doing. This is where I spend most of my time when dealing with student assignments and grades. It’s especially useful when students reach out for help and I need to quickly access their information.
The Progress App allows you to analyze student performance.
The Progress App has many tabs, but I find that the Analytics tab (or Reports tab depending on MindTap version) is the most useful in providing the information I need. MindTap Analytics measures student involvement using an algorithm that is based on how many times students log in to MindTap and the types and numbers of activities they access (including highlights and readings) and the overall time spent in MindTap. There are three Analytics views: Engagement Level, Time in Course, & Percentage Of Activities Accessed. The course dashboard shows class averages, MindTap time, logins and percentage of activities accessed at the bottom of each chart. This allows me to see how my classes do as a whole.
Students are represented by gray dots throughout the Analytics tab. Clicking on a dot will reveal information about the student, such as their name, course score, engagement score, and time in the course. Instructors can instantly access detailed analysis of each student by clicking on the name. You can view all assignments and scores of students, in addition to details about each student’s engagement. You can also email students about their class performance and encourage them to improve or seek help. I find that high-performing students appreciate being praised and given kudos. MindTap can also be used to drop students.
A breakdown of student scores and a list all the gradable activities will be provided to you. You can also view each score and the number of attempts. You can also see notes that indicate whether the assignment was a graded or practice assignment. It could also indicate whether late submissions can be accepted without penalty.
Clicking on an assignment’s name from the student page opens detailed information about it and allows you to perform many important functions. You can view or delete an attempt, extend the due date, edit or remove a score, add or delete comments, and only that student will be able to see them. You can view the assignment and see the responses of the student by clicking View. A note with tips and hints on how to fix errors or resubmit an assigned assignment can make a difference in whether a student passes or fails your class. This small act of communication can really help you build connections with your students.
Students feel empowered and motivated when they see where they are in class, according to my experience. Many instructors find that MindTap Analytics mirrors students’ actions outside of MindTap. This is a great tool for providing support. Excel can also be exported to provide further analysis and reporting on outcomes.
MindTap Progress is my favorite app. It allows me to quickly identify student progress and ensure course completion.
Sandy will lead you through the Progress App in this tutorial video.