Should teachers give credit for late work?

the opportunity for the student to succeed in the class and not fail due to missing a deadline.

–CORRECTIONS–

Volume 122, Issue 8

Page 3: Media Arts instructor Rob O’Neil was misidentified as a former L.A. Times reporter, when he was actually an L.A Time correspondent.

JULIE LUDERS jluders.roundupnews@gmail.com @jluders_roundup

Teachers should allow students a grace period for all late work with a corresponding deduction, whether that be half-credit or a quarter of the credit for any assignment that is turned in past the due date.

Students should be able to turn in assignments late. Although the students will not get full credit it still gives the student a chance to learn and benefit from completing the assignment.

If a teacher has a “no late work accepted” policy and the student does not turn in the assignment on time, they will never do the assignment and will not benefit from the outcomes of completing it.

There are many factors a student can face that may inhibit them from completing his or her assignment on time.

For example, many students work full-time and take multiple courses. Allowing a student to get partial credit for a late assignment still gives

If students are pressured by a “no late assignments accepted” policy, then they may rush to turn in an assignment on time with the bare minimum. If students are granted a grace period with corresponding late work deductions, then they will put more effort into completing the assignment to the best of their ability.

Some students take multiple classes in which all their assignments could be due the same day. With a student given the flexibility of receiving partial credit for late work, they can pick which assignment requires more priority.

For examples, if a student has an A in a class and a C in another, but an assignment is due at the same time, the student has the choice to pick completing the assignment on time in the class that they are receiving C in. The student can then turn in the late assignment for partial credit in the class they are receiving the high A and their grade may not suffer.

Teachers should give students half and quarter-credit on all late assignments because it allows the student to benefit from the learning outcomes of completing the assignment and gives him or her more flexibility.

KATERINA CHRYSSAFIS kchryssafis.roundupnews@gmail.com @katchryssafis

Teachers should not give half or quarter-credit on late assignments for various reasons.

First off, many students would not take deadlines as seriously if it were easy for them to receive credit regardless. In the real world, there is no such thing as half-credit or a late assignment. When you are asked to complete a task of any sort in the workforce, you are obligated to finish that task in the appropriate amount of time given.

The whole purpose of college is to prepare students for life outside of school. If teachers are willing to give partial credit for various assignments, it would give students the impression that they can turn in an assignment at any given time. Therefore, many students would start to complete late homework thinking that it would not have much affect on their overall grade. This would make it more difficult for the student and professor to keep track of the students progress.

In addition, every teacher has a different ways of grading.

Allowing a student to turn in a late assignment could lead to confusion with another class. If both teachers have a different policy, this can throw off the student and lead to an unwanted zero on a homework assignment. Overall, what may seem like a favor can ultimately confuse and even damage one’s grade in a different class. No matter what, teachers want the best for their students. Allowing them to turn in late homework for partial credit may seem like a good idea on the surface, but it won’t teach them the importance of punctuality and responsibility in a work environment. Ultimately, what may seem like a small gesture may do more damage than good in the long run.

On the other hand, there are instances where we do face emergency situations. We get sick, car accidents happen, and face numerous other impediments in day-to-day life. In the workplace, these may be excused depending on the situation. The important issue is that students do not take advantage of this idea. Overall, giving half or quarter-credit should only be permitted under real emergency circumstances.

So next time your teacher tells you that he or she won’t accept your late work without an excuse, smile and say thank you. She or he is ultimately doing you a favor and teaching you how to survive in the real world.

The deadline is 11:59 p.m. the Sunday prior to the issue date.

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