Managing Late Assignments

Be a good manager to create good managers Why does anyone pursue a degree? In almost all cases, it’s a voluntary endeavor. The students in the online programs at PMI already have educational backgrounds to send them down various career paths.. So why are they taking YOUR class?   Every single one of our online students is hoping to advance in his or her career. They’re looking for management opportunities, leadership opportunities, and of course, to learn more. Not only are we teaching the course content, we also want to teach them what it means to be a good manager and a leader. So what does this have to do with late assignments? Everything. It would be easy to say, “I will not accept ANY late assignments, EVER!” But does that militant, no wiggle room, attitude make a good manager and leader? Good managers know how to set high standards, but they also know when to bend a little. We are demonstrating what it means to be a good manager by effectively managing our online classroom. This video will provide some examples to help you practice being a good manager.  Be a good manager to create good managers

Menu Click on a student to read his or her story. Meet your students. These are all students who are having trouble submitting assignments on time. How do you handle each one? Click on a student to learn more.

Click on a response to view feedback. Student 1 What would you do? Accept her submission for full credit. Not accept her submission Accept her submission and deduct points. Student #1 – is a first semester student. (Think of her as a “new employee.”)  She submits her first assignment one day late. Click on a response to view feedback.

Click on a response to view feedback. Student 2 What would you do? Accept his submission for full credit. Not accept his submission Accept his submission and deduct points. Student #2 –  turns in his assignment late by 1 hour and 15 minutes. Click on a response to view feedback.

Click on a response to view feedback. Student 3 What would you do? Make her turn in the assignment by the due date. Accept the late submission for full credit. Accept her submission late and deduct points. Not accept her submission Student #3 – contacts you three days before a due date to let you know she has to go out of town for a family emergency. She asks if she can submit her assignment the day after it’s due. Click on a response to view feedback.

Click on a response to view feedback. Student 4 What would you do? Contact the student. Give him a zero on the assignment. Student #4 – has consistently submitted things on time, does good work, and has missed an assignment. He hasn’t contacted you via phone or email. Click on a response to view feedback.

Click on a response to view feedback. Student 5 What would you do? Accept his submission for full credit. Not accept his submission Accept his submission and deduct points. Student #5 – has one excuse after another, and is always trying to get deadlines extended. He hasn’t turned in the most recent assignment and hasn’t contacted you. Click on a response to view feedback.

Student 1 - Feedback What would you do? Accept her submission for full credit. Not accept her submission Accept her submission and deduct points. Think of this as a “first offense.” You wouldn’t fire a new employee because they made one mistake. Instead, use it as a teaching moment. Accept the assignment and offer full credit if earned. Explain to her the importance of hitting deadlines, taking personal responsibility, and that late assignments would NOT be accepted in the future. Menu

Student 2 - Feedback What would you do? Accept his submission for full credit. Not accept his submission Accept his submission and deduct points. Accept it for full credit. Most people are so time-zone challenged, that anything under 4 hours is usually fine. Some instructors give students zero points for submitting an assignment 20 minutes late. C’mon 20 minutes?? Really? Could you imagine a manager firing someone because he/she submitted something 20 minutes late? Ok, perhaps there is a klunkhead manager out there like that, but I can guarantee you his/her staff is cruising CareerBuilder for a new job! It’s not the message we want to send. Menu

Student 3 - Feedback What would you do? Make her turn in the assignment by the due date. Accept the late submission for full credit. Accept her submission late and deduct points. Not accept her submission This is EXACTLY the type of behavior that IS acceptable. Let’s say a student emails saying she’ll be out of town for a funeral and will be gone for three days. She lets you know before the deadline for the assignment and asks if it would it be all right if she submitted it a day late. Of COURSE that would be acceptable. She was pro-active and let you know what was going on. That’s the type of behavior that we want to encourage. The student is doing her best to manage her responsibilities and you want to acknowledge that to help her continue to do so. Menu

Student 4 - Feedback What would you do? Contact the student. Give him a zero on the assignment. Contact the student to find out what’s up. Say something like, “I noticed you missed your last assignment. That’s not like you. Is something wrong? How can I help?” Sometimes you find out there was a sick child, a car accident, or maybe just a brain freeze. The point is, it’s a first offense. Giving the student 24 hours more to complete the assignment would be reasonable, and if still not submitted, you can record a zero. This is the wiggle room that good managers know when to grant. Menu

Student 5 - Feedback What would you do? Accept her submission for full credit. Not accept her submission Accept her submission and deduct points. If this is the first assignment he hasn’t turned in, cut him some slack. If other assignments were turned in late, then assign the zero grade and explain to them that they’ve used up their last life-line. Menu

Focus on Success Hopefully these examples help you determine what’s acceptable. During the first week of class, it’s more likely you’ll need to extend deadlines in because of late enrollments, book issues, and such, but you can use these guidelines for the rest of the semester. You are the manager and leader of your online classroom. Set a good example and remember that the focus is on student success.