Frequently Asked Questions about membean
What are "Dubious Minutes?" Why do I have Dubious Minutes?
"Dubious minutes" are essentially flagged by the Membean software when a student is not fully engaged with the program. This might mean a student was randomly clicking on answers during their sessions and this may have resulted in a low accuracy score. It might also mean that a student was logged in during a session, but they were not fully paying attention or had another tab open such as YouTube or a video game. Finally, it might also mean that a student was using cheating software. This occurrence is rare, but it has happened. The system will flag the student's account and notify me of their attempt to cheat on their homework. If this does happen, I will privately speak with the student and their family about this issue.
Essentially, dubious minutes tell me that a student was not paying attention and they were not trying. If a student's accuracy is below 50% then the system will flag them as dubious. Membean is not designed to make individuals fail. Membean is designed to support students properly with vocabulary acquisition.
2. What can I do to fix the "Dubious Minutes" issue?
Good news! You can do quite a few things to prevent dubious minutes. Do not train on Membean for a long period of a time. I have notice that if students work on Membean for a long period of time, then they tend to receive low accuracy scores which lead to dubious minutes. If you struggle to focus, then I would suggest starting with 10 minute sessions. During those 10 minutes you need to truly focus on the task and do your best. Use all of the tools that Membean has to offer!
3. How can I check if I have "Dubious Minutes?"
Read the following article from Membean.com! Click the link here: How to Check your Dubious Minutes
4. How is Membean graded in this class?
Each week students will receive a grade in my grade book for their efforts on Membean. I grade Membean for the completion of their work. Typically, students will receive 45/45. Membean should be considered one of the easiest and best things a student can do for themselves in this classroom.
However, issues tend to arise when students earn the dreaded dubious minutes. For example, if a student completed 45 minutes of Membean, but had 15 dubious minutes, then their final score will be a 30/45.
It is impossible for students to make up for a missed week of Membean. I rarely offer opportunities for extra credit. It is crucial that students make their school work a priority. I am happy to make exceptions for students who are dealing with special circumstances such as illness, religious commitments, or family emergencies.
5. Ms. Caldwell, I end up doing all of my Membean minutes on Sunday night and it is really difficult. How can I fix this?
I strongly advise against waiting to do your homework, especially Membean, at the last minute. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of every week you will have a required 45 minutes of Membean. I recommend setting aside some time during the week to take care of your Membean minutes. I suggest spending anywhere from 10-15 minutes in the afternoon/evening working on Membean. If you work for 10-15 minutes each day during the week, then you will most certainly be done by the weekend!