The career college I teach at does not allow for the assignment of extra credit. I think if the entire class is averaging poorly a learning curve or extra credit could be used.
Hi Rey:
Extra credit may have a place in ceratin classes under specific conditions, but it certainly should not be a major grade component. Teachers and institutions will have to come up with their own practices but I belive the majority of both does not favor or prohibits awarding extra credit.
As I said earlier, EC is mostly about points and little to do with learning. But I understand it's ma controverserial topic.
Regards, Barry
I agree. I was helping teach a class with another instructor and he would give 20 points extra credit to be applied on a test of 50 total points. Needless to say nearly everyone passed the class. There actually was one person who didn't pass and one who barely passed. It was not my class, and I did not agree with the practice but I bit my tongue.
Hi Stephannie:
I think that it's probably true that the better students are the ones that will attempt all nthe opportnities to learn the material they can, and are the ones least in need of extra points.
Which is kind of my perspective: Extra Credit has more to do with the awrading of points than it really does with learning. To be clear, I'm talking about slacker students who've missed assignments, had poor attendance and class participation, performed poorly on quizzes and tests. Now, they want to try to do something extra to earn points when they weren't willing to do what was required in the first place.
Usually extra credit assignments award points on top of points for regular assignments. So, this is about points, and less about learning.
Extra cfedit is a controversial topic, with no right or wrong answer. If we look at course assignments from a learning perspective, my opinion is EC just has no place.
Regards, Barry
Hi Carol:
You have defined why many schools do the very same thing. Extra credit tends to inflate grades, is not fair to all students, rewards students for mediocre or absent assignments, interferes with consistent grading practices, and most of all, puts a focus on points and grades, more than learning.
Regards, Barry
Hi Pandora:
Ref Extra Credit on exams. I think every teacher and institution has to determine what they think works best for the school and or the the class. Many institutions simply don't allow it. Many teachers won't either, usually freom poor past experiences and the net effect oin student learning.
Now maybe it's semantics, but I think there is a difference in extra credit, where students simply get awarded points for really nothing actually assigned with the purpose of raising a grade. To me, thats not fair.
But say, an essay question on an exam may have a bonus point depending on the correct response, or some teachers will state at the beginning they will drop the lowest quiz score, policies like this give a boost to meritorous students and it's fairly offered to all students - that's something different.
Extra credit is a very controverserial topic with no clear right or wrong answer. It seems to me if the information is important, it should be included in the required assignments with giving away points for really no real work.
Regards, Barry
What role should extra credit have in final grades? When I first started at this institution, instructors were giving three extra credits to be used in final grades. This practice is no longer allowed. I readily agree with you that it is a mistake to offer extra credit. In many cases students failed to get a passing grade or turn in their assignment and ended in getting a higher final grade. Was this fair to other students? At that time, I would answer yes, because each student had an equal opportunity to earned the same points.
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Another idea may be to introduce the availability of extra at the start of the class and not mention it again till nearing the end of the class and see who has put an effort in to completing the extra credit. More often you will see the students with the better study habbits and higher grades have completed the extra credit and should be awarded the credit for showing ambition.
Our program does not allow extra credit because the students will not put the emphasis on their test grades and final exam. We need to make sure that concepts are learned and they will build on their knowledge base.
Hi Amber:
Your school has probably adopted this standard based on past situations or poor student outcomes. In my opinion there are few instances where it's truly helpful (expect to raise a grade) to the learning process.
Regards, Barry
We are not allowed to use extra credit at my school anymore.
Hi Earle:
My opinion is extra credit is an activity that awards points for grading purposes more than assigned for learning purposes (although both can exist). If it's important for students to know about the subject matter, it should be included in the regular course curriculum.
But there may be times that adjustments can be made (dropping the lowest quiz score or a variable point bonus question on an exam).
Innappropriate uses are those where slacker students want extra points to boost their grade due to failed or missng assignments, or just general poor performance. That's not fair to other students who've legitimately earned their grade.
Regards, Barry
Hi Sarah:
Generally, I feel extra credit tends to inflate grades and focus on extra points more than learning. In one sense, if it's important and valuable to the learning process, than it should be included in the regular curriculum.
There are exceptions. And every teacher has to decide where they set their grading and their class standard. I just want to avoid giving away points to slackers who have not done the required assignments, and then want to do something they like and receive points in substitution.
Comining from a medical science profession, my perspective is there can be no room for error, so students must demonstrate all assigned work. Substitution is not a possibility because people could be harmed or in danger of unsafe practice.
Perhaps not all classess need to as strict. Also, extra credit is is a very controversial subject with lots of differing opinions.
Regards, Barry
Hi Susan:
Every teacher needs to define how they will prpare, deliver, and grade their class. The varieties of methodsare endless.
Extra credit is a very controversial subject. There is no right or wrong.
Awarding extra credit, in my opinion, really is only a grade altering activity with little learning accompaninging it. But I understand and can appreciate alternative viewpoints.
As a health science professions instuctor, much information can result in harm to patients, or dangerous mistakes can be made. Therefore my bias may be different from others where that is not is as much a concern.
Regards, Barry
It will really depend on the class and structure. If it fits into the overall class and it is a clear assignment it can work. It should not just be jammed in as an after thought
I only offer extra credit when students are trying to go above and beyond what I think they should be learning.
For example, in my Literature course, one of the required essays can be an original short story. I offer extra credit to those students who not only write a short story, but have someone else read and react to it and then complete a self-evaluation that reflects on what changes they subsequently made to the story, if any, including why or why not.
Another example of extra credit I offer in that course is on the midterm. There is a section of the exam that is short answer - analyzing several of the short stories we have read in class. There are 15 questions to choose from, and students are required to answer four of them. They may choose to answer another for extra credit.
I, however, do not offer extra credit in my speech classes. I have carefully chosen each speech to reflect an important skill area and do not see an area where extra credit could play a positive role.
Very small percentage as I shared previously I don't actually suggest it. If a student stuggests it then I work with them to develop a rubric -- with students working full-time, raising families, etc. occasionally there is that bad test grade. And, if they suggest extra credit then I know they are willing to put forth the additional effort.
I don't usually give extra credit but if someone has gone above and beyond in a project way above the expectations in the rubric then I will give them additional points. They went above and beyond the requirements and should be compensated for their perseverance. Although, I would consider offering someone a chance for extra credit if they were working hard in class and on their projects but then did badly on exams due to test anxiety.
Hi Sarah:
I might ask if your students have satisfactorily completed their regular assignments, why is there the need for extra credit?
Some teachers may want their students to improve their grades and be tempted to offer EC. But really that only adds points, and contributes very little to learning.
My bias is to avoid EC, because my backgraound is teaching critical care topics. People can be hurt or harmed by mistakes, or worse if students don't get their knowledge and skills perfected.
If it's important enough to award credit, I think it should be part of the regular curriculum.
Regards, Barry
Hi Gloria:
I guess there will always be some students who are looking for the easy way out.
I think there are legitimate ways for the instructor to make adjustments in grades that don't involve EC (dropping the lowest quiz scores, giving a bonus question on an exam). These methods relate to learning that has occured.
EC tends to just give points in order to raise a grade. Earned bonus points are one thing. Free EC points (for minimal work) to compensate for missed or late assignments or poor effort just is not fair, in my opinion.
Regards, Barry
