  In this work, we present the development of an automated extension tool to
assist educators and increase the success and well-being of students by
implementing flexible extension policies. Flexible extension policies
materialize in many ways, yet there are similarities in students' interactions
with them; students tend to request multi-day long extensions repeatedly. In
courses with hundreds or potentially thousands of students, providing a system
to support this extension request demand is not possible given most currently
available resources and limited staff. As such, a tool is necessary to help
automate flexible extension processes. The development of this tool should
reduce staff load while increasing individualized student support, which can be
used in varying ways for different extension policies. Our research questions
are: RQ1: Does the extension tool reduce barriers and stigma around asking for
assistance? RQ2: Does the tool lessen the wait time between requesting and
receiving an extension, and how does the tool improve students' learning
experience in the course? These questions will help inform us about how an
automated tool for flexible extensions helps support growing course sizes and
students who may not otherwise receive the support they need for their success
and well-being in the course.
