Extra Credit – Should We Offer It?

In the November 1^st edition of The PA Educator, the topic of extra credit was presented. According to the literature, the use of extra credit in higher education appears to be more in favor these days than previously (Izienicki & Setchfield, 2019; Norcross et al., 1989; Norcross et al., 1993; Weimer, 2020). Case scenarios were provided, which depicted two of the most common uses of extra credit.

The first case discussed the use of extra credit as a means to motivate students to complete the course evaluation.  The second case dealt with offering extra credit to help “bump up” a student’s grade so he could pass the course. 

Due to the low response rate (11%) to the informal survey in the last edition, it renders any conclusions impossible. However, I do wish to report that the results showed that 67% of those who responded felt that using extra credit points to get students to complete a course evaluation was not a good idea. Many in education agree that using extra credit to incentivize or manipulate students is not a good idea (Coleman, 2020; Stark, 2020; Weimer, 2020).

The second case provided the situation of offering extra credit to help a student get a passing grade. The student’s course grade was 68% after he failed the last exam in the course. This was his only exam failure. Again, acknowledging the informal and low response rate of the survey, 56% did not think it was acceptable to offer this student extra credit to help him pass.

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. One of the biggest concerns around extra credit is when it is offered as a means to make up points. In this situation, the student has demonstrated some deficiency, whether it is low or failing score(s) or failure to submit required work.  I think it is essential to distinguish between extra credit as defined above and the need for remediation.  There appears to be some agreement among educators that extra credit should not be used to raise a failing grade. There are also some clear reasons why it could be appropriate to offer. However, this depends on the nature of the course or profession of study. In outcome-based education such as ours, we are obligated to ensure our students have attained and achieved the knowledge and skills required for entry-level practice in medicine.

Extra credit can be a divisive issue among faculty. Some of the 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.

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 around 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 the very informal survey results is that 83% of respondents said they would consider offering extra credit for 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.

1. It should be course-related and relevant and in line with course learning outcomes and not be simply busywork.
2. 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.
3. It should require above and beyond effort and elevated learning relative to the course requirements.
4. It should focus on improving and developing the student’s learning skills and abilities.

Offering extra credit has its place in education. However, its use should be determined through an informed decision process with clear rationale and purpose defined.

References

Coleman, K. (2020). Exploring extra credit. The Teaching Professor. Retrieved from 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/

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/