A large-scale test of the relationship between procrastination and performance using learning analytics

Abstract

Many studies have found a relationship between students’ self-reported procrastination and their grades. Few studies have used learning analytic data as a behavioural measure of procrastination in order to predict performance, and there is no systematic research on how this relationship may differ across assessments or disciplines. In this study we analyse nine years’ worth of institutional electronic submission records, a total of 73,608 assignment submissions, to examine the relationship between submission time and grades across assignments, students, courses, and disciplines in higher education. A significant negative relationship was found overall, with students who submitted closer to the deadline obtaining lower grades, however the size of the relationship was negligible, accounting for less than 1% of the variance in grades. The relationship varied significantly depending on student, assignment, course and discipline.

Keywords:

• Procrastination
• learning analytics
• assessment
• academic performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sophie H. Cormack

Sophie Cormack is a Senior Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing at the University of Sunderland. She is interested in how assessments affect student motivation, and also has research interests in perception of time, and learning analytics.

Laurence A. Eagle

Laurence Eagle is a Principal Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Health & Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton, teaching in Postgraduate Higher Education Educator Training. Research interests include information technology and its use in feedback and assessment, curriculum development to enrich the student experience, and the use of dialogue and professional recognition as enhancement tools.

Mark S. Davies

Mark S. Davies is a biologist with a large portfolio of activities relating to learning and teaching and its management in higher education. His research in education, besides assessment, concerns formulating strategies for student retention and the use of computer simulations in teaching complex subjects.