Report #1
FIPP Activity Report
Funded by the Basic Skills Initiative
Name Kate McLaughlin
Date October 13, 2009
FIPP Partner Jim Noyes
Section #6841
Activity /Strategy NQA coupons
Category V - Homework/Out-of-class Experiences
Briefly describe the activity/strategy.
1. Introduction I made and passed out No Questions Asked Coupons that would
allow students to turn in a homework assignment up to two weeks late. Each
student received one coupon on the first night of class. Once we got to the
section in the syllabus that says late work is not acceptd ever for any reason, I
made a big deal about the NQA coupon being their one-time exception to the
rule. Then I handed out the coupon. I did this in every class.
2. Set up & Supplies It took a couple of minutes to design a simple coupon, which I
then pasted and copied down the length of an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper. I
made the coupons rectangular so that three would fit on one page. I used gold
paper so that students couldn't make counterfeit coupons and so that the
coupon would look like a golden ticket from "Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory."
3. Directions The directions were printed right on the front of the coupon: "Valid
only for homework assignments that are no more than two weeks late. Not
valid for tests, research papers or extra credit. Fill out coupon and attach it to
the homework." Students were instructed to fill out their full name and the
assignment number in the "Used by:" and "Used for:" spaces.
4. Conclusion So far, the students have been using the coupons a lot. Several
have thanked me for offering them. I think it's working out really well, especially
since my policy of no late work at all ever is tough for many students to live by.
This gives them a little room to move.
What worked well? This activity is easy, can be used in all classes and is something that
students appreciate and value, so I'd say the whole thing worked well. The idea, the setup, the implementation, the result -- all worked really well.
What would you change? Next semester I will be clearer on the instructions and I will rewrite the instructions on the coupon itself. Many students misunderstood how to use the
coupon, and it is because I didn't do a very good job of explaining it. Also, I put the key
part of the written instructions at the end of the three sentences. As a result, students
were handing in just the coupon, without the completed assignment attached. They
thought the coupon was a get-out-of-doing-the-homework-assignment-entirely card
instead of simply a two-week extension card. I'll make it clearer next time. I might also
wait to reveal the NQA coupn until after I've collected the first homework. My partner
Jim Noyes did this and said it worked well. I think springing the coupon on the students
during the chaos and info load of the first night probably contributed to the
misunderstanding about how it was to be used.
Would you use the activity/strategy again? Why or why not? Absolutely! It has really
worked out well and is easy to implement. This activity allows me to maintain my policy
of no late work while still cutting students a break. I also like that it puts the burden on
them to make up for their own lateness. All I have to do is collect homework, just like I
do with work that is on time. I don't have to worry about late work slipped into a pile of
on time papers or writing notes to myself that this assignment is late and was received
on such-and-such-a-day. Students can take responsibility for their own actions. Love
that.
Please describe any student learning outcomes/changes that you observed after the
implementation of the activity/strategy. Students are doing the work they miss instead of
blowing it off. I've also noticed, although this is totally anecdotal and from only a handful
of students, that the NQA work seems to especially high quality. It's as if students have
been given a second chance, and they're going to take it seriously. In the future, I'll be
watching the quality of NQA work. I also see that students are taking responsibility for
their own actions. I have had much less begging and pleading about accepting late
work. With the NQA coupon, changing my policy is no longer a topic for discussion,
because everyone seems to know the deal. It's as if the NQA coupon made my no-latework policy real to them. Before the coupon, they'd always beg me to change the policy
or they'd pretend like they didn't know it existed.