Impact of a grace period on student submission behaviour and academic performance

Abstract

Fixed assessment deadlines are widely used in higher education but may disadvantage students whose learning is disrupted by competing academic, work, or personal demands. This study examined whether introducing an automatic, penalty-free grace period influences assessment submission behaviour and academic performance in an online undergraduate course. One hundred and ninety-eight students enrolled in a fully online first-year Health Communication course were analysed across two major assessments. Submission timing was categorised as on-time, grace period, extension, or non-submission, and associations with assessment marks were examined. Submission behaviour showed strong continuity across assessments: students who submitted on time initially were most likely to do so again, while early non-submission was associated with continued non-submission or withdrawal. The grace period was widely used and appeared to provide functional flexibility, with a greater proportion of students submitting on time by the second assessment; however, a substantial minority continued to rely on the grace period. Importantly, assessment marks did not differ meaningfully across submission categories, indicating that penalty-free flexibility depended on when students submitted rather than on how well they performed. These findings suggest that automatic grace periods can support equity and engagement in online learning without compromising academic standards, provided expectations are clearly communicated, and early support is directed towards students who disengage from initial assessments.