Extra Credit on Tests
I have found that if I add a question to a test that has the designation "EXTRA CREDIT", the students that do not really need the extra points will attempt the question. Those students who could use the extra points look at the question and feel "...if it is extra credit it must be extra hard. Too hard for me" and they skip the question.
My solution is to simply put one or two extra questions on a test and calculate the percentage score not using those questions in the base line score. Example...52 questions on a test with each one being worth 2 points. This translates to a perfect paper (52 correct) scoring 104%.
This way all the student try every question.
PS. I teach math and this is also a learning sitution for the class. They get to calculate their own percentage grade.
Hi Marisa:
It's unfortunate more thought about the undesirable outcomes of awarding extra credit (extra points) hasn't been more seriously considered. It's creative of you to make the best of it, that's to your credit.
For me EC has more to do with points and grades and little to do with measuring learning. Grade inflation, unfairness, subjectivity in grading, and skewing class averages are common reasons colleges and faulty choose to avoid EC as policy.
EC is controversial, with no right or wrong answer. For me, it's just unfair and a way to raise grades. "I don't want a nurse giving me an injection if s/he isn't fully competent".
Regards, Barry
I am not generally of fan of extra credit questions, but they are a standard in the tests given within my department. I do get to choose the questions, and I gear them towards the hand-on training of our program.
Hi John:
My opinion is any preplanned awarding of extra credit (EC) conveys a message to students they can expect to miss essential material but still earn points. For me, this is not a good model to follow.
While a teacher may decide to make adjustments to grades, I believe there are better methods than extra credit to do so.
Regards, Barry
Extra credit should add no more than 5% to the entire course's grade.
Hi Tamara:
I believe EC should be very limited, or not given at all. Your point is correct that once students receive EC once, they'll probably want it all the time.
Regards, Barry
If extra credit is place on exams is it on all exams? Will the students expect it weekly?
Hi Tammie:
I might add that because this works well for you, maybe it should be included as a required component of your class? Are you looking for a reason to award extra points, or are you wanting to know to what degree the student learned.
Tongue in cheek, I might question a student who earned "110% of the material presented in the class?" Now, I'm all for helping students via teaching and facilitating their learning. Whenm it comes to grading, I believe there should be set standards to asure testing and grading is fair and consistent for all.
All said, I would love to have an assignment that generated "creative, awesome anwers".
Regards, Barry
My extra credit is aways in a essay form, it is a general question about the content of the chapter. I ask them to "sum it up" in their own words. I have students ask me for these essay questions, and i get some of the most creative, awesome answers.
Hi Jennifer:
It was intersting. I'm not a fan of EC generally. But in the way it is being used, it really is application of learned material, which at it's root develops critical thinking. Maybe it should be called "bonus points" or "application points". In this case, it really was a part of the learning experience, since it was not an optional activity.
Regards, Barry
That was a really interesting take on extra credit. I like that they are involving another sensorial learning method and having them think in another direction.
I always have an extra credit question on an exam. And I always coach the students through how to appraoch it during a review session prior to the test. Since I teach introductory level information, most questions are of the identification and recall level of the Cognitive domain. My extra credit question is in the comparative or analytic level of cognitive domain. This is where I help students to APPLY their learning to new situations.
For example, In the Baker's Percent section of the course, I present two different bread formulas, A and B. Ingredients and weights only. The purpose of the course was to have students calulate the percents of each ingredient in a bread. This is identification and recall. In the extra credit section, I ask them WHICH BREAD IS SWEETER? To do this, they need to figure the percent of sugars in each bread, and then compare. So the extra credit is stuff they already know how to do, except now they have to apply it to a new situation. I review this technique of analysis prior to the test. Even if the students don't get it right, they do come away thinking that baker's percent is easier than they thought in the first place.
Mike Kalanty
Artisan Baker
California Culinary Academy
I feel like adding a couple "fun" extra credit questions at the end of a final exam can be a reward for the students. If the questions are about something other than the course material, and are more personal, it can make the students feel like the teacher cares about them AND they can get a couple extra points just in case.
Hi Natasha:
I gather the comment made "this is extra credit so this must be hard" is what you're refering to. I believe students (and people in general) many times look for the easy way out of a problem. Or it could be that the student just plainly isn't willing to guess if they don't know. Adding some extra credit masked as hidden bonus points probably couldn't hurt the overall grade significantly.
Regards, Barry
I don't get it. Why do they do that ??
Hi Renee:
This is one approach that helps students earn points and operhaps a higher grade - nothing wrong with that. We just want to make sure they know what they're supposed to, and the grading system should reflect that.
Regards, Barry
