Where is the first place that students look when they enter a classroom? While we would hope that it would be the announcement page to see any important information that we have to share with them, it is
oftentimes the gradebook. The gradebook is a section where students can track their progress in the class and get feedback from the faculty member. This is where you will provide the student with comments on their work. Whether the students review the feedback that we provide is another discussion in and of itself, but part of your job is to supply feedback and use the tools provided. I can assure you that it can get frustrating when a student does not review the feedback provided and sends you an email inquiring about their grade. Of course, we are willing to provide that additional feedback to the students, but when they do not even read it, it can be disheartening. This is a point that I try to drive home to my students. Many times, if a student has a question about their homework grade, I ask if they have had a chance to review the feedback provided and let me know if they have a specific question about it.
Many students attempt to use the gradebook as a communication portal. While you should address any questions that they pose in the gradebook, I find it a best practice to remind them to use the communication tab to ask questions. With that said, when checking your class for questions, I would take a quick look at the gradebook or dropbox to see if a student did post in the gradebook. The reason for this would be to ensure that several days do not go by in which a student has a question in the gradebook and thinks that you not responding to them.