Abstract
Time management directly correlates to student success and persistence in all modalities, but particularly in distance learning. Teaching the study skills and time management tools students need to succeed in the challenging online environment builds confidence, improves success rates, and increases retention. Faculty must prepare students for success both in the classroom and in their future professional careers. Time management tools are necessary in any course, and faculty should teach time management tools along with course-specific content and outcomes; this will improve time management and maximize students' educational achievement while improving overall retention and persistence rates.
TopResearch Background
Research about procrastination indicates that many who procrastinate choose to do so, particularly if they lack the motivation to complete tasks, but that is not always the case. Steel (2007) defines procrastination this way: “to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse-off for the delay” (p.66). This definition emphasizes the role of individual choice in the process of procrastinating and concludes that most people understand and accept the consequences of their choice to procrastinate. Steel also notes that individuals are more likely to procrastinate or delay a task if their desire or motivation for completing the task is low. Intrinsic motivation, Steel further concludes, is of particular relevance to the choice to procrastinate. Individuals with higher levels of intrinsic motivation tend to procrastinate less (2007). As Wolters et al. (2017) noted, though, lack of motivation is not the only driver for student procrastination. Many college students, especially at-risk students, simply do not have well-developed academic skills, and their procrastination behavior may not be a matter of voluntary choice or lack of motivation. Their delay in beginning and completing college work on time may simply be a manifestation of poor time-management strategies, failure to understand instructions, or reluctance to ask for help. The ability to manage time and tasks is key to being able to self-regulate behavior that would otherwise lead to procrastination.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Self-Regulation: The ability to make behavior choices that are in a person’s best interest and that allow the individual to complete tasks within assigned deadlines.
First Generation Students: Any student who is the first generation in their family to attend college or university.
Procrastination: The act of putting off a task rather than beginning the task in a timely manner.
Patch Writing: A form of ineffective paraphrasing where a writer changes some of the vocabulary and/or structure of a source but still over-relies on the original source, leading to problems with plagiarism.
Continuing Generation College Students: Students whose parents or guardians have attended college or university.
Delay Discounting: The belief that future rewards are less important or valuable than immediate rewards.
Imposter syndrome: The feeling of being inadequate or fraudulent, originating from self-doubt.
Self-Handicapping: Any behavior that delays a task in order to avoid perceived inevitable failure and loss of self-esteem.
Time Management Skills: The ability to organize one’s time in such a way that allows a person to complete work and academic tasks by their due dates.
Barriers to Success: Any hindrances or roadblocks that negatively affect a student’s ability to complete tasks or succeed in their academic endeavors.