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