Report #4
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Briita Halonen
Date 12/15/09
FIPP Partner Robin Bouse
Section #6440
Activity /Strategy NQA Coupons
Category Classroom Expectations
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction Students are given two "No Questions Asked" Coupons at the
beginning of the semester to use for late assignments.
2. Set up & Supplies Before the start of the semester, simply photocopy two
coupons per student onto a bright colored cardstock. They work best when
instructions for their use are printed onto the same page.
3. Directions Below are the instructions I print on the coupon page for the
students:
All assigned work and essays for this class are due on the date indicated in the
syllabus. However, unforeseen circumstances sometimes occur to us all to
make this impossible. For this reason, each student will receive two (2) NQA
(No Questions Asked) Coupons which may be used at any time in the
semester (except for the last day of class). When you staple an NQA Coupon
to the top of the first page of any assignment or essay, I will accept it as though
it had been submitted on time, no questions asked. I will accept no late work—
ever—unless a coupon is attached. This includes legitimate absences and
computer/printer malfunctions. The coupon is only good for one class (not
calendar) day that the assignment is late. If lost, these coupons will not be
replaced.
4. Conclusion This can be a great method of managing late assignments; the trick
is just to stand strong. If you let students turn assignments in late after they
have already used all their coupons, then it defeats the purpose, and students
will take advantage.
What worked well? Just about everything. I didn't have to waste time listening to and
judging the validity of reasons/excuses for tardy assignments, and the students didn't
have to reveal private issues in order to be allowed to turn things in late.
What would you change? I offered ten points of extra credit for unused coupons at the
end of the semester. I would add a caveat to that. Next semester, I will only offer the
ten points of extra credit for unused coupons if all assignments were turned in on time
throughout the semester.
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? Definitely. Students
appreciate them, the coupons make my life easier, and they encourage students to take
responsibility.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. They were used throughout the semester, so it's
difficult to say what changed "after;" however, I do believe that the coupons generate
mutual respect between the students and the instructor.