6.6 Student Expectations

Students have lots of expectations and associated assumptions. They might have been told what to expect by peers and family, via social media, by 'experts'. They might feel entitled. They might feel that they are peers and should be involved in all decision making. They might feel that they are experts in teaching and learning. They might think it is your job to tell them exactly what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and how to do everything right before they attempt it. They might also be of the opinion that they know what should be taught and how it should be taught. They might think they know all about learning, and you do not. Unfortunately, this has been a trend starting with the Millennials and has only worsened over time. The gap noted by Hassel and Ridout (2017) between the students' and lecturers' expectations is not small. And, we do not see this improving any time soon.

Many expectations...

Some of the expectations might align with the instructor's expectations, some might not. Some might align with the institution's expectations, some might not. The gaps might be small or large, few or many. It is our experience, the larger the gap situation, the bumpier the ride; for both instructor and student.

There are more, but we are sure that you get the drift from the ones below. Expectations about everything.

• Expectations about the good, bad, and the ugly about everything. What is considered normal, below normal, above normal, exceptional.
• What would be considered fair (in all practices, situations). For example, fair might mean that 80% of the students can expect an 80% in the course for basically showing up, doing the minimum.
• What they are expected to deliver. In a class, term, program, university situation.
• How they are expected to behave. Like the point above, in a broad sense.
• How they expect other students to behave. Ditto to the above.
• What they expect good students do and don't do. What they are willing to do along those lines. And, if they actually consider themselves a 'good' student; is this opinion, self-perception, or evidence based?
• When they are expected to do things. Before class, during class, after class, before major assessments, during, post. Some students have a distorted time reality.
• How to interpret instructions and guidelines and what 'should, must, can' mean. Is 'must' really must or is it 'take it under advisement, do what you want'.
• What deadlines mean and how much latitude will be given.
• How penalities and rules are enforced.
• What they expect the instructor to do for them and what they expect to do for themselves.
• How much guidance and instruction they will be given and how much they are expected to do using their own 'reasonable' judgement. How much independent thought they are expected to do.

Here are some of our thoughts about student expectations...

• It is important for all levels of the system to set and manage appropriate expectations; the institution, the faculty, the program, the instructor. If one level is promising the moon to attract and recruit students, this will set inappropriate expectations and when they are not fulfilled, there will be disappointment, frustration, and possibly flashback at the closest object; the instructor. Unfortunately, it is easy for individuals throughout the food chain to get caught up in the moment and fluff a bit. Sometimes by accident and sometimes on purpose. This has to be consciously managed and controlled.
• At key transition points, such as first year, it is important to dedicate time and effort to expectation setting. Do not assume that this will be done without effort and by osmosis. This has to start with the first contact points, and be reinforced during first year.
• We will use first year as the most obvious transition point, but there are additional ones to consider. For example, many programs use the first year or so for the foundational, concept, theory development and use the more senior years for application, deeper comprehension, synthesis, and evaluation skills development. Expectation management needs to deal with this transition as well. If there are major, new methods being used (e.g., encountering their first seminar class later in a program), expectations also need to be dealt with.
• The first lecture and first activities are good times to deal with expectations. We also recommend re-visiting key expectation transformations part way through the term and in a debriefing at the end.
• Do not assume that the students are consciously aware of their stereotypes, expectations, and assumptions. Many are tacit and are just there, not thought about, ingrained. The expectations and assumptions need to be discussed and sorted out.
• Just saying that blah blah is different is insufficient. The students need to experience the change and differences. Experiential activities and 'example activities, assessments' are a good way to start the expectation transformation.
• Just giving them an expectation lesson once is insufficient. There has to be repeated, integrated experiences and reflection. This has to be done in a safe, trusted way so that the student fears and anxiety are managed. You will be changing their comfort zone.

• The students will listen to those most similar to themselves. They will not listen to 'old people' or even senior students. It is a good idea to enlist the second years to help coach and explain the realities of life to the first years.

Even with all of the above, it is likely that the students will hold onto the dream and go off the cliff like a herd of lemmings. Expect it, plan for it. Do not be surprised. Use the constructive failure method (LINK) and anticipate a learning curve. Expectations are not like a light switch. They will not change overnight and there will be degrees of change. Courses which are at a key transition point need to imbed expectation management and take the learning curves into account when grading and assessing. Students will need to face-plant, be debriefed, counselled, and be given a second, perhaps third, perhaps fourth experience for the expectations to be reset. Use your TAs to monitor, help manage expectations.

In some cases, the expectations have to be supported by mini lessons, to educate, to help the students become self-aware, mindful.

If you do not appreciate the impact of expectations and appropriate expectations, you will likely learn the hard way. When there is a gap, and the students' marks are impacted by the gap, what they get versus what they think they should get, what you do versus what they think you should do, it will probably get messy, real messy. If the student expectation gap is not addressed and managed, do not be surprised by what happens next.

Further reading

• Hassel, S., and N. Ridout (2017). An Investigation of First-Year Students' and Lecturers' Expectations of University Education, Frontiers in Psychology, 8.