GauchoSpace's Analytics graphs feature allow instructors to send email to subsets of students quickly and efficiently. This feature can be used to send light-touch, targeted feedback to students based on course performance or assignment submission status. Light-touch feedback helps students see that instructors notice them and care about their work in the course. See CITRAL's Research-Based Strategies for Teaching summary to learn more and find sample "light-touch" email text.
Below are four scenarios that describe how instructors can use Analytics graphs to communicate with groups of students.
- More information on Analytics Graphs in GauchoSpace can be found here: Analytics Graphs.
- More information on light-touch feedback and other strategies for building class community can be found here: Keep Teaching: Encourage Student Participation
The Grades Chart in Analytics Graphs allows instructors to directly email students based on their performance on an assignment. For example, you could email all students in the bottom quartile for a given assignment. Here's how:
- In the Administration block for the course, click Reports
- Click on Analytics Graphs to show the graph options. Then, click Grades chart.
- Click "Add Assessment to Chart" next to an activity to add it to the graph.
- Click on the added box and whisker chart to see the median score and the number of students in each quartile.
- Click on the student count to see the students that fall in that quartile and send them an email.
The Assignment Submissions chart in Analytics Graphs allows you to directly email students based on submission status. For example, you could send an email to all students who did not submit a given assignment. Here's how:
- In the Administration block for the course, click Reports
- Click on Analytics Graphs to show the graph options. Then, click Assignment submissions.
- You will see a bar graph with all Assignment activities and the number of students who submitted on time, late, or did not submit.
- Click on the red bar to send an email to any student who did not submit the assignment.
The Content Access chart in Analytics Graphs allows you to directly email students based on their access to course resources. For example, you could email students who have not accessed a specific resource (such as the course syllabus). Here's how:
- In the Administration block for the course, click Reports
- Click on Analytics Graphs to show the graph options. Then, click Content Accesses.
- Select which resources you would like to see access information for. For example, if your syllabus was uploaded using the File resource, you would click "File". Select a start date and then click Build Graph
- Each activity or resource will display with two line graphs: one in green for students who have accessed it and one in red for the students that haven't. Click on the red line graph to email the students who have not yet accessed the material.
The Hits distribution chart in Analytics Graphs allows you to email students who have never accessed your GauchoSpace course site. Here's how:
- In the Administration block for the course, click Reports
- Click on Analytics Graphs to show the graph options. Then, click Hits Distribution.
- At the bottom, you will see a list of students who have never accessed the course. Click Send email to send them an email.
