I think it's perfectly acceptable for instructors to have hard deadlines in their courses. That said, I don't think it's a reflection of how deadlines work in the "real world." insidehighered.com/blogs/just-vis…
Hard deadlines inevitably conflict with students doing their best work. Doesn't mean you can't have a hard deadline, but we should also recognize the trade-offs. Ex. Finals are simply something students survive, rather than an expression of their deepest learning.
More flexible deadlines that students "manage" (as we do in the real world) are no panacea. There's plenty of pitfalls there, but I deeply believe they're a better kind of pitfall that do help students have valuable experiences that will benefit them in the future.
In general, I think more freedom and more autonomy set the stage for more learning. Not a guarantee, and it's a struggle, but it's the kind of struggle I think is valuable.
