I'm generally wary when the New York Times tries to tell its readers about what a "new generaton" thinks. What that important caveat, the NYT has an interesting article on how many college students feel that working hard should be taken into account in their grades, regardless of whether it leads to better performance. An excerpt:

  Nearly two-thirds of the students surveyed said that if they explained to a professor that they were trying hard, that should be taken into account in their grade.
  Jason Greenwood, a senior kinesiology major at the University of Maryland echoed that view.
  "I think putting in a lot of effort should merit a high grade," Mr. Greenwood said. "What else is there really than the effort that you put in?"
  "If you put in all the effort you have and get a C, what is the point?" he added. "If someone goes to every class and reads every chapter in the book and does everything the teacher asks of them and more, then they should be getting an A like their effort deserves. If your maximum effort can only be average in a teacher's mind, then something is wrong."
  Sarah Kinn, a junior English major at the University of Vermont, agreed, saying, "I feel that if I do all of the readings and attend class regularly that I should be able to achieve a grade of at least a B."

Hat tip: Prawfs.