I find that our students who are asking for extra credit often times do because they have missed several days of class or key learning outcomes and their grades have suffered. I feel that extra credit should be used for the students who are here and want to learn as much as possiable but maybe they are 2 points away from an A.
Hi Elise,
Thank you for sharing this strategy. Your approach keeps it low risk for you and your students. Once you have found out it works well you can make it a part of your course as you indicated. If it doesn't work again low risk because it goes away.
Way to go in keeping improvements coming in your course.
Gary
I agree that usually my students who take on extra credit are already doing well.
I give extra credit points when I am experimenting with an assignment, but aren't sure that I'm ready to make it mandatory. I let my students know they are "testers", and give each student an opportunity to try the assignment. About 50% usually follow through. I then get feedback from them on the effectiveness, suitability etc. Last quarter I tried an assignment that let each student teach one aspect of the day's lesson. The students who taught felt they learned more, and the students being taught enjoyed hearing from their peers. This quarter I have added it as a regular course requirement.
Michaelle,
I too wonder if it is appropriate because the students who really seem to take advantage of it are the "good" students. I am teaching a pharmacology class where they learn to give injections. One student actually asked if they were going to get extra credit for practicing. I told her know, biting my tongue that she would even ask such a thing since it is part of the curriculum and a very important basic skill they will be using everyday in the clinic.
Some instructors offer it to much and the students get so used to it that they expect it all the time.
Extra credit seems to work almost as a motivator for my students.
I am a first year instructor and was given this idea from another instructor who helped me get started. I use extra points when reviewing for an exam through a game like strategy. This way I get the students to come to class more prepared as well as getting everyone to contribute.
Thank you for the idea. I usually have an extra credit project posted, but I found that very few students would take that extra challenge. A couple of extra questions on a test sounds more approachable.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for sharing this alternative to extra credit. Both extra credit and dropping the low score are ways that you can support the students and provide them with some additional ways to be successful in the class.
Gary
I also agree. It seems that the students asking for extra credit are the ones who don't try as hard in the class and therefore are the ones who are doing bad. I also find that students understand when I say that I do not give extra credit.
I go back and forth about my thoughts on extra credit. A class I teach didn't have it, so students were always asking for it. When I finally came up with an appropriate assignment, the only students who actually completed it were the ones in fear of losing their "A". Overall, I'd have to say I feel better when there is something extra to offer them. Now I'm teaching a new class and I'm trying to come with another assignment to use.
Personally I do not use extra credit. I tried it once, but like other people have said the only people that did It were the people that didn’t need it or the people that were desperately trying to save their grade. In both cases it didn’t really do anything beneficial. Instead of offering extra credit I have started dropping the lowest quiz score in my classes. Students know that they get the “one bad day” in class and other than that every point they earn is applied to their final grade.
I like to offer extra credit, but I think the students need to ask for it , be interest in the material. In this way that make them go above and beyond.
Hi Beatrice,
Thanks for sharing this example of how extra credit can and cannot work for students. This should help other instructors as they decide about extra credit in their classes.
Gary
Hi Nancy,
I teach on-line as well and until tonight really did not think I'd ever have a use for extra credit. I do not believe in it's use to supplement (prop-up) existing assignment and test scores. I find that if students think there are extra credit options they may relax with some of their learning on the topics we are covering. From my own experience in school where extra credit was available I had friends who would use the EC to cover their lack of knowledge in one of the core topics of the course.
One of the tough things with the on-line class discussions is having the learners wait until Thursday to provide their main post. The response post time is then severly limited to about two days which never really allows any depth of discussion to be developed.
So, I like the extra credit idea for this and as you say, it is only worth the total of one quiz (which technically is on the verge of covering over a student's lack of knowledge in a particular area. But the benefit here may outweigh the negative in this case :) ).
I think that extra credit is good but needs to be monitored closely. In a class I taught for the first time, without really thinking, I told the students they would get one extra credit point for each spelling word they defined. End result--by the middle of the quarter the students had enough points to get an "A" in the class. Sadly I had to revise the syllabus and while students were not happy with me and I was not happy with me, several "thanked" me later. They felt that they learned both spelling and vocabulary as a result of that "extra credit perk" early on in the class. They felt it gave them a good solid baseline structure. In my case it worked out ok, but I definitely learned my lesson. My take on it--a good thing in moderation!!!!!
Hi Nancy,
Great topic. I use extra credit in a couple of assignments in class to encourage additional speaking time. For example, one assignment might be for a student to write a 2 page essay on a certain topic for 25 points If that student gets up in front of the class and presents his/her paper then I award an extra 4 or 5 points. The goal is to get them as much experience with speaking in front of people and if it takes a few extra points then so be it. :)
I've had tremendous success with this.
Scott Rudeen
I use extra credit to make the students go back relean material they missed on a test.
I also agree. Those who ask for extra credit usually do so because they are in danger of doing poorly or have missed and excessive amount of work or attendance.
Hi Linda,
With the situations you described extra credit becomes alternative credit. Students want to do extra credit work in lieu of what is and has been required all through the course. It is at this point that the "a little too late" issue comes up. They have to have the knowledge and skill base to do the work, period. Extra credit at the end of the course is not going to fix that problem.
Gary
I find that students generally ask for extra credit at the end of a course after they realize they haven't done well and want to bring up their grade. I also don't believe in using extra credit to pass someone, especially in my area, math. I'd like them to pass based on their knowledge.
