Why Late Work Is a Problem for Learning
In this video, Dr. Justin Baeder makes the case that late work undermines the learning sequence and that point deductions for lateness are appropriate.
Key Takeaways
- Learning is sequential - Assignments build on each other; turning in work late means missing the learning it was designed to produce at that point
- Point deductions are fair - Reducing grades for late work maintains the incentive to complete work on time
- This prepares students for life - Deadlines exist in every profession; learning to meet them is part of education
Transcript
Let's talk about late work.
Late work is another one of those things that advocates of standards-based grading would say doesn't matter.
It should not factor into a student's grade if their work is late, and any comparisons to the adult world of deadlines and the workplace isn't really applicable because this is all about learning.
I think the learning-centered argument for taking off points for late work and not allowing students to turn in work whenever they feel like it is that the learning is on a schedule, right?
The thing we are learning right now is not the only thing that students have to learn.
And if it was, then sure, we would have all the time in the world.
We could have the luxury of infinite retakes and turning in work whenever it's good enough.
But in the world that we live in where there's more to learn, there's more to get to, and what we're doing now is likely in some ways a prerequisite to what we're going to be doing in the future, then late work does matter.
It is a problem.
And when we're grading, We are not just grading for mastery, right?
When students get points on an assignment, part of what they are getting points for is the fact that they did it in the first place.
And there may be opportunities to improve on the learning piece.
Like if you have your students turn in a paper and they get it graded, you give them feedback on their paper, and they have a grade, but they can also revise that paper and fix the errors and improve it to get a better grade.
I think that's the kind of thing we should be going for, not this kind of, hey, just put off doing the actual work as long as possible, because what happens then is kids just fall behind.
If you only get your paper half done by the deadline, and you get a 50 on it and you know the part that you did was good but most of it's missing like i think it's okay to not get those points and to have some sort of penalty for the fact that it's late if you ultimately do get it finished and complete you know i think it's appropriate to give students that feedback in the form of a grade like hey you didn't do this when you were supposed to and now we're all behind like we're going to continue to fall behind if you continue to not do your work on time so again i think we live in a real world where time passes, time exists, future time is spoken for, just as there is a plan for the present time.
And if we're continually pushing students' current work into the future by not having deadlines, I don't think that's just an issue to worry about as adults.
I think that's an issue that matters for learning now.
Let me know what you think.