I beleieve that extra credit should be given to students who have made every effort to do good and you see their effort but just can't seem to pull themselves over that hump. It shows the student that you care about them and how they are doing in the class.
Hi Klaus:
Your comment to Chistine is noted. I'm glad you're getting useful tips you can use.
Regards, Barry
Hi Fernando:
I think students excel best when they learn the required material and are graded fairly.
Regards, Barry
Christine
Thank you for this information. I usually do not like to give extra credit but I will add some to my syllabus given at the end of the course to students who have done consistently well with all their work.
I believe it is a good tool for students to excel.
Hi Lou:
If EC is given, there should be firm guidelines on how it should be administered, under what conditions, and to what degree. I think this is best done in writing and discussed on the first day of class. I agree grades and points are secondary to leraning the required course material. What good is it if the assignment is to "make a cake", but the student can only "make soup"?
It sounds like you have established a system that works for you in your classes.
Regards, Barry
It is important to me to protect the integrity of any course, and to hold all students to the same standard. Along with this, I want my students to be able to attain any "grade" that they are willing to work for. If a student isn't getting the grade that they want, but they are willing to do more work IN ADDITION to the basic coursework, then I think that I should guide that work in some direction via extra credit. Extra credit work is not a substitute - students are not to choose to do this work or that work, but they are to do all of the required work, and have additional opportunity to learn. I want to use extra credit to reward sincere, hard work.
Knowledge is it's own reward, but sometimes there needs to be some additional benefit to inspire the work needed to get it!
Hi Guy:
Many instructors do not allow EC in their classes for the reasons you listed and others. For instance, it skews the grades, and rewards lesser performance. Ultimately the instructor has to assure their students know the needed course material. EC is one way to award points. If the students have learned, I think that's the most important factor, regardless of the grading system or points awarded.
Regards, Barry
Hi Cindy:
Sounds like you manage your extra credit in a manner that works for you. My general caution is that EC not account for too much weight of the final grade. One concern about awarding EC is students who earn good grades without the EC may feel it's unfair for other students to receive EC.
Regards, Barry
I don't care for extra credit. It kind of penalizes the students that do well and don't need extra busy work for students that often need it pass the class. However it should be at the descretion of the instructor in extreme circumstances and should be offered to everyone.
Extra credit is a sticky area because typically the only students that do it are the students that don't need it and thus I make extra credit a little more difficult to challenge those that are looking for extra work.
Hi Sheri:
Many teachers like awarding extra credit, and many more will not allow it - it seems to be a fairly controverserial grading choice. I'll stay out of that discussion.
I will add that our focus is on the learning that occured, more so than grades and points, although I recognize that it's the most common way we measure whether learning has occured. As teachers, part of our responsibility is to determine to what degree student learning has occured. Some weight for extra work that demonstrates learning probably can't hurt. Too much weight on EC may artificailly suggest the student is performing at an unnaturally higher level. In some trades, this could disastrous!
Regards, Barry
I think extra credit should play a bg role in the final grade. If the student is willing to do the extra work, it should reflect in their grade.
Hi Jeffrey:
I have commented much about the slippery slope of deciding to award extra credit or not. I can argue both sides.
Personnaly, allowing some wiggle room (extra credit or extra consideration) on individual assignments makes sense because it's limited to just one category. But to add a whole category of just extra points really skews the grades, and is unfair to students who have truly earned their passing grades. So, in an indirect manner, extra credit is a fairness question, at least in part.
Regards, Barry
Extra credit is very tricky because students who do well in a class take advantage of extra credit to earn a solid high grade, while other students find extra credit as a way to barley slide through class and earn a passing grade. Currently, I have done away with extra credit to avoid any more headaches.
Hi Craig:
I have found awarding extra credit to be among the most controversial actions teachers administer. Some agree and use it while others disagree and forbid it. It really varies. I do think students should be made aware of the grading policies at the very beginning of the course, in writing, and then following exactly by all (students and teachers alike).
Regards, Barry
Hi Danny:
Many instructors feel as you do, which I think is fine as long as the institution approves and the students are informed about the grading policies from the start. It sounds like that is the case at your institution.
Regards, Barry
I think the role and rules of the extra credit should be discussed at the begining of the course. For example projects turned in earlier than due dates, asking them to expand on some important answers on a quiz or test.
Well, sorry to say but I do not offer extra credit to students. It is what it is. If you do the work you get the grade . If you have a excused absent for a day you missed then you can make up what you missed. Extra credit is a tricky path to take. It was spelled out to the students on the first day of class that this is a college.
Hi Christine:
Sounds like this works for you and it is allowed at your institution. The slippery slope with extra credit is the potention for an allegation of inconsitency or "not being fair". Of course thats never the intent but if the rules arn't clearly stated and available to all students, some may feel that way.
Regards, Barry
