Hi Craig:
In fact, because EC might allow a student to pass a course when they really shouldn't, many institutions are moving away from allowing it at all.
Regards, Barry
Hi Denise:
I'm with you. It seems to me EC is more of a grading tools, while we should most interesting in learning tools, strategies, activites, etc. Giving points only contributes to a grade. In your profess, if a student uses EC to pass a class but has missed or does not understand critical information, that could be disastrous, harful, or even deadly!
Regards, Barry
I don't agree with extra credit having any impact on the final grade. There again, it may be dependant on the subject matter but for nursing I don't utilize extra credit at all.
Extra credit should be a way of a student bumping up his/her grade. I have always told students that they cannot excel at every assignment given throughout the semester and this gives them a way to earn some of those points back.
Hi Gwen:
I sort of agree. I think however that if any EC is important, it should be included in the curriculum in the first place. As you imply, mostly (not always) EC is used as grading-oriented strategy more than a learning-oriented activity.
Regards, Barry
Hi Angela:
I agree with your sentiments and rationale, but this is controversial, and therefore varies among individuals and institutions.
Regards, Barry
Hi Robert:
Good rationale. I choose to not offer EC jus because over the years, questions of fairness, favoritism, grade inflation, and good students feeling their successful work undermined by "free points" awarded by the instructor undeservedly. But each teacher needs to decide how they want to run their class.
Regards, Barry
The school I am with has a strict policy against extra credit of any kind. I feel extra credit could be a good thing, however, this policy I believe came to be because students were abusing by not being commited and letting grades fall, becuase they knew in the end they could do some extra credit work to bump up the grade. This is also a very hands on facility, so if student is absent the skill was not learned therefore they recieve a zero with limited options of making it up.
One interesting thing that I have seen among some of my students is that when I offer an extra credit assignment, many times I get the most enthusiastic response from the students that need the extra credit the least. Students with high 90% averages will take advantage of an extra credit assignment trying to inch their overall average closer to 100%.
I agree that when extra credit is offered, it should serve a purpose other than just boosting a grade. The assignment should be based on reinforcing learning objectives that either have not been learned to the level the teacher had originally planned, or as a way to expand learning beyond what had been originally planned.
In my opinion, extra credit does not have a place in career education. Students may rely on the extra credit as a crutch and not put forth the needed effort on assignments or tests during the course. In career education we are striving to mock the real world environment so they are successful after school and in their chosen career path. In the career field of Nursing there is no extra credit given for knowing a correct procedure or a new medication, it is an expectation of the job. Extra credit tends to water down grades and can be abused and overused by instructors and students. I know it may seem harsh, but since we have eliminated extra credit in my program our student outcomes have increased.
None. i feel the student should do they work in the first place. extra credit is a crutch for those that don't study and it is unfair for those that do. Our school doesn't allow "extra credit."
Hi Sara:
What you say may be true. All I would add is it the grade or the learning that's most important? I mean, awarding EC to good students is great, but they usually don't need the points. And the students doing poorly are wanting to just get by, possibly bypassing essential learning.
So, is it the grade or the learning. Each teacher has to decide on their own.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jesse:
For me, giving points for incomplete or unfinised work in substitution for required assigned seems awkward, sort of like rewarding poor performance. I just don't give it, make it clear at the beginning, and rarely have difficulties with students accepting that dynamic of grading in the class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Donald:
Opinions and circumstances vary among institutions. On principle, giving points to some students but not all seems a bit unfair. While I agree that circumstances can be legitimate, the balance of the students record should be able to carry them to at least a passing grade. If not, perhaps all of the learning that should have occured did not happen. But each instructor has to come to their own decisions about how to handle missed assignments.
Two thoughts:
1. How would an employer handle a missed assignment that resulted in an unfavorable outcome for the business?
2. I think any guidelines for EC should be discussed and printed out on day 1, then everyone is required to follow the rules the same way.
Regards, Barry
Extra credit should recognize students who want to do extra, students who need more points if they have not done well on exams/quizes, and for students who have additional insight into the material presented.
Hi Jan,
I have experienced this very situation first hand. As a new instructor one year ago, I gave extra credit to the students on a regular basis in one of my classes. I found at the end of the quarter some of the students had well above the 100 total points for the course, while others accumulated extra credit points, and skated the rest of the quarter. I found that they stopped completing their assignments and their grades were not affected. I stopped giving extra credit on a regular basis after that quarter. Now it is only given if I feel that a student needs to boost his/her grade. However, I give the extra credit as a whole to the class, not to an individual. I found that by offering extra credit to one person whose grades were less than desireable, other students would get mad and felt this was unfair. This is typically coming from the either high performers or the students that just care a lot about their grades. I also do the point system differently as well. I used to give several points and several questions for extra credit. Now I give one or two extra credit question(s) that are worth only a couple points each.
Extra credit should be assigned in the circumstance where students have fallen behind due to urgent or dire situations. It should not be used as a crutch or something that is expected.
I dont think it should effect there final grade but if it was before the final then i don't see a problem.
I feel extra credit should be for anyone in the class who wants it. I feel the people who do the extra credit are the ones who really care about their grades.
I am very reluctant to use extra credit and will do so only in extreme cases. Students will sometimes put forth little effort in the main areas of their class work thinking they can get the instructor to let them make it up with extra credit projects. I give extra credit for someone that goes above and beyond the call, not those that try to skate by.
Jesse Walker
