The impact on students of coursework assessment deadlines and penalties

Stoneham, Ray (2008) The impact on students of coursework assessment deadlines and penalties. In: "e" Teaching and Learning 2008: Workshop Proceedings. Higher Education Academy, Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, pp. 9-13. ISBN 978-0-9552005-9-5

Abstract

The use by students of an e-learning system that enhances traditional learning in a large university computing school where there are clear assessment deadlines and severe penalties for late submission of coursework is examined to assess the impact of changes to the deadline model on the way students use the system and on the results they achieve. It is demonstrated that the grade a student achieves is partly dependent on the time before the deadline when the work is completed - in general, students who submit earlier gain higher grades. Possible reasons for this are explored. Analysis of the data from a range of different implementations of deadline policies is presented. Suggestions are made on how to minimise any possible negative impact of the assessment policy on the student's overall learning.

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