[Uw-ruby] HW deadline suggestion

[Ryan Davis]

On Nov 13, 2007, at 15:48 , Jim Clark wrote:

> Ryan Davis wrote:
>> OK. I've pondered and I like it. I'm going to accept this model for
>> all homework from here on out, including week 6. It will not be
>> retroactive for weeks 2-5. So, to summarize:
>>
>> Week 2-3 is due 11/13
>> Week 4-5 is due 11/20 (yes, tuesday of thanksgiving week)
>> Week 6   is due 11/16
>> Week 7   is due 11/30 (since we don't have class on the 21st)
>>
> If you don't grade homework on the weekends, then why ask for the
> homework just before a weekend? I'm sure most of us work during the  
> week
> and having the time on a weekend to work on a problem is helpful to  
> us.

1) Most importantly: it is the weekend, so it is the principal of the  
matter.
2) quite honestly, I'd rather my students not work on the weekend  
either.
3) 9 days is already 50% more than what I was offering before. 13 is  
too much.
4) I need to have time (mon-tues) to go through the homework and grade  
it / offer feedback BEFORE the next class.
5) nobody is forced to turn it in on the very last day.

> I'd rather see due dates on a Monday or Tuesday instead of a Friday.

So you're asking for two weeks for homework now? No. That just doesn't  
make sense.

> It also seems a bit out of order to have Week 6 homework due before  
> Weeks 4
> & 5. Since we don't have class on the 21st, why not make Week 6 due on
> 11/26 and Week 7 due 12/3?

Because I already said that the homework was late enough and it needs  
to end now. I'm offering extra time for the late homework for those  
that need it, but I cut it off at week 5. That seems fair to me.

The lesson I've learned here is to be more clear about expectations up  
front. I prefer to be flexible and do most of this stuff off the cuff,  
but that doesn't seem to jive very well with everyone. So for Q3,  
it'll be 9 days from the start, and anything past that gets a 0.

P.S. I let this mail through to get the discussion... but please send  
from the address you subscribed from from now on.