I hate evaluating student performance. Here's a scenario for your contemplation:
You decide to offer students an opportunity to complete an extra-credit assignment and you tell the class several times during the last few weeks of the course that the deadline for submitting the extra-credit assignment is by the end of the last class session (which was 12:15 on Friday, December 7th). You tell them that because this is an extra-credit assignment you will not accept the assignment if it is submitted after 12:15 pm on that day. To make your point even stronger and more concrete, you tell them that even if they submit this assignment at 12:20 pm it will still be considered late and won't be accepted. You also include all of this information in the handout describing the requirements for the extra-credit assignment and post it on Blackboard for all to see. I'm sure you see where all of this is going. Okay, when class is over at 12:15 pm on the last day of class you make an announcement that extra-credit assignments are due, you collect the extra-credit assignments from those students who submitted them, and you go back to your office. At 12:30 pm, a student (who was in class a few minutes ago) comes to you and tells you that she simply forgot to submit her extra-credit assignment but that it had been completed for the past week and by the way she is so grateful that you are still willing to accept it. You sit there and try to decide what to do. Do you accept the extra-credit assignment? Do you accept it if she says that she will be unable to earn an A in your course and will have to settle for a B if you don't accept her assignment? Do you accept it if she begins crying and calls your deadline policy unfair? If you do accept it, would you also accept one that was turned in at 12:45 pm? How about one that was submitted at 4:50 pm? Where do you draw the line? How do you balance grace and mercy with fairness and justice? I hate evaluating student performance. Rod ______________________________________________ Roderick D. Hetzel, Ph.D. Department of Psychology LeTourneau University Post Office Box 7001 2100 South Mobberly Avenue Longview, Texas 75607-7001 Office: Heath-Hardwick Hall 115 Phone: 903-233-3312 Fax: 903-233-3246 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage: http://www.letu.edu/people/rodhetzel --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
