Hi Rachel:
For you this seems like it works out ok. The little bit of bonus really doesn't contribute to their overall grade that much, and students probably feel appreciative there's a smidgen of bonus available.
Regards, Barry
Do many students do all 5 of the assignments?
I offer extra credit on a module that there is a lot of information to know that is not being offered in their reading assignments or their homework. The reason for me doing this is to research and gain extra knowledge. The point scoring that I give is extra 5 points which will be placed on a quiz grade. The extra credit is only given out once a term. I feel that they need stimulation in knowledge and this is why I do it.
Hi Wayne:
Many teachers would agree with your sentiments. In some professions, students simply have to have the requisite knowledge to be successful. I think sometimes some teachers don't separate the process of awarding grades and points from the process leading to learning and gaining appropriate knowledge. Perhaps that's OK in softer courses where the outcome is not directly related to their performance as workers.
Regards, Barry
I do not give any extra credit. Our students must pass a national board exam in order to be credentialed to work in the hospital. The national board exam does not give extra credit. This is our school policy. Even if I were allowed to give extra credit I would not. I feel it is a disservice to the students, in our case.
Hi Rebecca:
Insurance is a good example of how teachers use EC. There are things insurance doesn't and can't cover. For instance, EC can't substitute for necessary learning or essential material that is key to the course. This would be more important in some professions than others, obviously.
Regards, Barry
Hi Karla:
Spometimes it makes more sense to just have sound assignment requirements and assure that all students are given the same opportunity to earn the same amount of points, all without the use of extra credit. In short, sometimes, EC can get in the way more than help.
Regards, Barry
Extra credit can be used like an insurance policy. If at the end of the course you need these points to bring you from a C to a B grade than students can use those points. If they do not bother to do the extra credit than it is a chance they take. Like any insurance it is good to have when you need it.
In the school where I work, extra credit is not very easy to offer. We have 3 different schedules for the same class. If I want to offer extra credit to my students, I need to offer it to all of them and make sure that the other 2 instructors from the other 2 schedules are also offering it to their students. It needs to be fair and all students should have the opportunity to be awarded with extra points.
Hi Aaron:
You developed a method that works for your class, so that's fine. As for extra credit I believe that too much can skew grades and tha may intere with essential learning that's necessary. I don't think EC should ever be substituted for regular, required assinments. But a little tweak probably isn't a catastrophe if it's just a smidgen.
Regards, Barry
I like extra credit assignments. I know the the Module put forward the idea that extra credit should not be included as a systematic percentage of the total. However, if a student would rather worker harder on the extra credit (learning more that is required) then I see no harm being done.
Example from my Syllabus:
Course is 1,000 points total
Extra Credit Options = 100 points total
Yes, this means that the true total possible is 1,100 or 110%, but to be fair to all students, I've found that listing the extra credit in my syllabus allows all students to play by the same rules. This way I'm not rewarding poor behaviors or positive ones.
The 100 points of extra credit are broken into 5 20 point assignments that encourage life long learning skills. They are enjoyable, but harder than regular class work.
As the module suggested, I've thought about including these as regular assignments, but time does not allow for their inclusion. So, I think that I will leave them in as simply extra credit.
Hi Ondrea:
All teachers have experienced the "phenomenon" of the whole class doing poorly on some assignment or test. In some cases it makes sense to allow some adjustment to compensate if te teacher has not presented the material adquately, but there may be other reasons. Rather than EC, I think bonus assignments, repeat attempts, or review of the material make more sense.
Regards, Barry
Hi Sophia:
I agree EC should be used sparingly. Too much skews the grading system and may be unfair to good students who don't need credit to earn a decent grade.
Barry, Barry
I offer extra credit to students when they demonstrate the need for it. I believe that if the class done bad as a whole on a assignment this is a reason to offer extra credit because somewhere along the lines the message was not relayed to the class as well as it maybe should have been. A good indicator especially is when the students who usually get really good grades fall a little short of their normal grades.
Very little especially if given if the students were previously failing ...
Hi Mary:
If these are bonus questions I can see why students would want tke advatage of them. EC, to me, implies getting credit above and beyond what is assigned. I think students should not be given EC for work that is a substitute for the regular couyrse assignments. It just doesn't seem fair to the more diligent students tat complete all of their assignments, regardless of the grade they receive. But that's just my perspective.
Regards, Barry
Hi Bonnielee:
Extra credit can be a blessing or a curse. I think if an assignment is beneficial and helpful, it ought to be included in the regular curriculum and graded accordingly. I also think EC should never be substituted for a regular class assignment. That is, unsubmitted regular assignment, EC assignment makes up the difference. Thats just unfair to the diligigent students who complete all of their assignments.
Regards, Barry
I give extra credit questions at the end of every test I give. A lot of the content is based on vocabulary words which are stressed in the class. Students who take the time to study the total material given to them can answer questions for extra credit. It seems to start competition among students to see who can get the most extra credit questions.
I use extra credit as a way to encourage students to use some of the online tools they will be using in their field of study. So many things are on the net today and many Billing and Coding Jobs utilize these venues. The CMS website is an example, they will need to know how to get around this site if they are billing for MEDICARE. I use these tools to entice the students so they can practice and earn extra credit. They know it can help offset a poor grade.
Hi Glen:
Many teachers will agree with you. The thing I always maintain is if EC is used, it should represent only a very small part of a grade, and should not be accepted in lieu of or substitution for regular course assignments.
Regards, Barry
