Should Students be Allowed to Redo Their Work?

May 12, 2023 • Homework

All students have experienced getting a test or a project handed back with a mark much lower than they expected. Should students be allowed to redo their work?

There are both pros and cons to allowing students to redo their work. Some students may struggle with the concept or the workload, while others might have personal issues affecting their academic performance. In such cases, allowing students to redo their work can benefit both the student and the teacher. 

Here is why students should be allowed to redo their work and how it can be done effectively.

Why Students Should Be Allowed to Redo Their Homework

Encourages Growth and Learning

One of the primary reasons why students should be allowed to redo their work is that it encourages growth and learning. When students receive feedback on their work and are allowed to correct their mistakes, they learn from their mistakes and improve their understanding of the subject matter. This helps them retain information better and boost their confidence in their abilities.

Supports Mastery Learning

Mastery learning is an educational approach that focuses on ensuring that students have a deep and thorough understanding of a subject before moving on to the next topic. Allowing students to redo their work helps to support mastery learning. It also will enable them to demonstrate that they have mastered the material. This approach can also reduce the achievement gap between students needing more time to understand a concept and those who grasp it quickly.

Encourages Responsibility and Accountability

Redoing work requires students to take responsibility for their learning and be accountable for their mistakes. By allowing students to redo their work, teachers can help students to develop a sense of ownership over their academic performance. This can lead to increased motivation and engagement in the learning process.

Helps Teachers to Assess Student Learning More Accurately

When students are given the opportunity to redo their work, teachers can assess their learning more accurately. Instead of relying on one assignment or exam, teachers can see how the student progresses over time. This helps identify areas where the student is struggling and provides targeted support.

Keep reading: Get homework done right the first time with homework tips and tricks.

Guidelines for Effective Homework Redos and Retakes

Teachers need to establish clear guidelines and expectations to implement redos and retakes effectively. 

Guidelines for redoing work can include:

1. A Set Deadline: It is essential to set a deadline for students to request a redo or retake. For example, this can be a week after returning the assignment.
2. Provide Feedback: Teachers must provide detailed feedback on the initial assignment or exam so that students know what to work on.
3. Make it Worthwhile: Redos and retakes should be worth a certain percentage of the grade, but not so much that students will rely solely on the redo to pass.

Redoing school work can have many benefits, including encouraging growth and learning, supporting mastery learning, and promoting responsibility and accountability.

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