Brian, My take on EC is less generous (not better, just different). I want to teach the best I can and work hard to get my students to learn and understand. Grades are a reflection of the degree to which a student has measured up to the requisite learning. If I want to fairly and accurately measure learning, EC can represent only a very small fraction, because to me, it's not about points and grades, but rather the learning and degree of understanding the student has demonstrated. Barry Westling