Extra Credit: Do you offer it? Should We?

Extra credit can be a divisive issue among faculty. Despite this ongoing disagreement, the literature suggests that the use of extra credit in higher education is more popular these days than in the past (Izienicki & Setchfield, 2019; Norcross et al., 1989; Norcross et al., 1993; Weimer, 2020).

Let's start with a definition of extra credit. Simply stated, it means students are given the opportunity to earn additional points for doing something extra. The problem lies in defining what extra means. The term itself suggests something above and beyond (Coleman, 2020) as opposed to redoing something to get a higher grade.

Some common reasons for those in favor of it include that every student can have an off day, a desire to help the student succeed, and the idea that everyone deserves a second chance. Those opposed to extra credit in higher education think students shouldn't need extra credit, that it can encourage students not to apply themselves fully because they know they can "make it up," it is a bailout for those students who fail to meet the course requirements when offered to all students, it tends to be those who don't need it that complete it, and it results in false grade inflation (Weimer, 2020). It also appears that faculty members have changed their position on this issue, being opposed in their early careers but leaning toward offering it during their later teaching years (Cohan, 2018; Weimer, 2020).

There are clear reasons why offering extra credit could be appropriate. However, this depends on the nature of the course or profession of study. One of the biggest concerns around extra credit is when it is offered to make up points to boost a grade. I'm sure many of you have had the student who has minimally applied themselves during the course who now comes requesting to do extra credit when they realize their grade isn't going to be what they want or need it to be and wants to earn some 'extra points.' There appears to be some agreement among educators that extra credit should not be used to raise or boost a grade, as this can lead to grade inflation and misrepresentation of the student's true knowledge base (Coleman, 2020; Trunk, 2023; Weimer, 2020).

In my experience, I have commonly seen extra credit used as a motivator to get students to complete course, faculty, or program evaluations. I get it. We need this data for accreditation, and sometimes, students just won't fill it out for any number of reasons. However, many in education agree that using extra credit to incentivize or manipulate students is not a good idea (Coleman, 2020; Stark, 2020; Weimer, 2020). This practice can also contribute to grade inflation.

In an informal survey I did a few years back, polling faculty across PA programs about extra credit, I asked them to respond to whether or not they would provide extra credit to help boost a student's grade. One scenario had to do with a good student who horribly failed the last exam in the course, resulting in a significant drop in her overall course grade. The second was a struggling student who had marginally passed all exams but failed the last one, resulting in failure of the course.

The decision to offer extra credit should be an informed one, with a clear rationale and purpose for its use. Although I advocate for faculty to have some freedom to organize and develop their courses, when it comes to assessment and evaluation, whether extra credit is offered or not should be a program-wide discussion and decision. A full faculty discussion can help determine if or when extra credit will be provided to students and can be based on common student scenarios such as:

Personal problems are hurting the students' academic performance

A hardworking student is doing poorly despite getting help

An ESL (English as a second language) student is doing poorly but improving

A good student fails a high-stakes exam

A struggling student fails a high-stakes exam

An assignment with a firm deadline is submitted late

A student has an unexcused absence from an exam and receives a grade of zero.

Of interest from my very informal survey results is that 83% of respondents said they would consider offering extra credit to a good student who fails a high-stakes exam. However, only 34% would consider it for a struggling student who fails a high-stakes exam. Zero percent said they would offer extra credit to a student who misses an exam due to an unexcused absence.

If extra credit will be used by faculty, here are some guidelines to consider.

It should be course-related, relevant, and in line with course learning outcomes, and it should not simply be busywork.

It should be available to all students. Offering extra credit to only some students either by privilege or failure, is unfair and could be problematic.

It should require above and beyond effort and elevated learning relative to the course requirements.

It should focus on improving and developing students' learning skills and abilities.

Offering extra credit can have its place in education. However, its use should be determined through an informed decision process with a clear rationale and purpose defined. If the program-level decision is not to offer it, students must be fully informed. This means statements in handbooks, all course syllabi, and told to students at orientation and the start of each course. Providing the rationale for the program's decision can also be helpful (Trunk, 2023). But I can almost guarantee it will not stop students from asking for it.

Let me just take a moment to briefly address a related but very different program response to a student who is showing deficiency. Although it is common for teachers to give such students extra credit to try and bring their grades up, that extra work often does not address the student's deficiency. Per accreditation, we must identify those struggling students and step in with assistance and formal remediation, if necessary, that focuses on correcting the knowledge or skill deficit based on the required learning outcomes. This is very different than extra credit.

Have you offered extra credit? Did it come at the request of the student? Did you offer it to all students? Do you have a program-wide policy about extra credit and clear guidelines regarding its use? If not, perhaps this article can help start an excellent faculty discussion.

References

Cohen, D. J. (2018, January 15). Extra, extra, read all about it. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2018/01/16/professor-explains-why-she-offers-extra-credit-her-classes-opinion

Coleman, K. (2020). Exploring extra credit. The Teaching Professor. https://www.teachingprofessor.com/ topics/special-series/spotlight-on-extra-credit/exploring-extra-credit/

Izienicki, H., & Setchfield, S. (2019). Extra credit in the sociology classroom. Teaching of Sociology, 47(1), 32-42.

Norcross, J. C., Dooley, H. S., & Stevenson, J. F. (1993). Faculty use and justification of extra credit: No middle ground? Teaching of Psychology, 20(4), 240-242.

Norcross, J. C., Horrocks, L. J., & Stevenson, J. F. (1989). On barfights and gadflies: Attitudes and practices concerning extra credit in college courses. Teaching of Psychology, 16(4), 199-203.

Pynes, C. A. (2014). Seven arguments against extra credit. Teaching Philosophy, 37(2), 191-214. doi.org/10.5840/teachphil20144414

Stark, G. (2020). Why I use extra credit and the guidelines that govern its use. The Teaching Professor. Retrieved from https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/special-series/spotlight-on-extra-credit/why-i-offer-extra-credit-and-the-guidelines-that-govern-its-use/

Stauffer, W. (2019, January 15). Extra credit is not really extra. Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2019/01/16/professor-explains-why-he-doesnt-offer-extra-credit-his-students-opinion

Trunk, D. (2023, November, 1). Extra credit in college courses: Blessing or curse? Weighing the pros and cons. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/extra-credit-in-college-courses-blessing-or-curse-weighing-the-pros-and-cons/

Weimer, M. (2020). Answering the objections to extra credit. The Teaching Professor. Retrieved from https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/special-series/spotlight-on-extra-credit/answering-the-objections-to-extra-credit/