Thread by @Hannah_R_Snyder

I've been seeing some posts from well-intentioned faculty about eliminating all deadlines in their classes. I study #ExecutiveFunction, #stress and #mentalhealth in college #students, and I'm here to tell you this will hurt the students you are trying to help. . . 1/buckle up

Large tasks w/ long time horizons ("turn in all this work by the end of the semester") put max demands on EF. They require extensive planning, breaking down into steps, time management. For folks with EF difficulties they are overwhelming, lead to procrastination and anxiety 2/

As work piles up it becomes even more overwhelming, leading to more anxiety and avoidance, leading to more pile up. A vicious cycle that sets students up for failure. Structure and scaffolding of major assignments instead helps students stay on track for success. 3/

Students who are neurodivergent, experiencing mental health issues or stressors (which affect EF), or may not have been taught how to self-direct through a US college course (e.g. 1st gen, international) benefit most from scaffolding that takes some of the burden off their EF. 4/

e.g., For a major term paper I assign small assignments throughout the semester that help with each step (selecting topic, lit search, outlining, writing, revising). Students always know what they should be doing now, and I know if they are off track and need help. 5/

But everyone benefits from reducing EF demands. Making class structures and assignments more consistent with SMART goal principles (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) helps everyone succeed. (Notice the time-bound!) 6/

This does NOT mean you shouldn't offer extensions when appropriate. You can be flexible and compassionate and have part of that compassion be that you are going to help keep them on track for success. 7/

Often we do things in classes that *we* would have liked as students. Some students can self-direct through a class w/ no deadlines just fine and would love that. Many faculty *were* those students. But we are not representative. 8/

TLDR: Please provide the structure (including deadlines) and scaffolding that students with executive functioning difficulties need to succeed. You can and should still be flexible with extensions, but lack of deadlines is not helpful for the most vulnerable students. /fin