Written by Anna Bailey, QILT student project assistant

Published as part of QILT News & Notes Fall 2026

I believe a big part of students not completing their work stems from a fear of communication, especially in my generation. In particular, I have noticed that we tend to shut down very quickly when something feels too hard or unachievable. Especially when it comes to academics, the easier way out seems to be ignoring the problem overall rather than working through it to make it better. I believe this impacts why many students today don’t ask for help when they need it and don’t seek out strategies, such as communicating with their professors, which would allow them to feel more successful overall.

Communication is vital in everyday life, and the fear students have about communicating with professors damages the overall success of the student.

I believe one major reason why students fear communicating is that they feel they should already know what to do, which contributes to a constant fear of failure. Many young adults feel societal pressures to know everything all the time and think that if they don’t, they are failing. As someone who tries to stay on top of it all, I have found myself also engaging in this negative thinking, since it can feel defeating having to ask for help, and communicating that I am struggling can feel like a personal failing. When students get confused and start to question what they are supposed to do in a course, they may also start to question their ability in being able to complete an assignment, become discouraged, and end up disregarding their work altogether.

To eliminate this negative cycle for students, an idea came to mind which would not only allow students to engage more with some of the tools on Canvas, but also that can benefit communication between professor and student overall. Posting weekly announcements might be the key to not only bridge this gap between faculty and students, creating more comfort with communication overall, but also to reinforce utilizing Canvas as a tool to help get students on track and complete their coursework. One specific feature on Canvas that can be used as a tool to help reduce this feeling of overwhelm is the “Announcements” tab. If professors post weekly updates on Canvas in the announcements tab that provide a short write up of what is due for the upcoming week and any other expectations that need to be followed and/or met, a student can be reminded of what their goals are and feel more inclined to get their work done. This type of constant messaging and communication also might allow students to feel more comfortable with reaching out if they have questions in the course about what is expected from them.

By building familiarity with these features, students can gradually see how communication with the professor can benefit their success in any course. They might also recognize that seeking assistance when it is necessary is not failing, but shows strength. Understanding that it is OK to ask for help is what some may define as basic knowledge. However, many people, especially students, still struggle with being able to do so, and supporting this idea by using communication tools can lead to very successful outcomes for the student, as well as the professors.

Resources:

• Announcements: Using Announcements Effectively in Canvas