Extra credit activities are often viewed as a way for students to make up points for not performing as well as expected on an exam or other assignments. Another approach might be to use this strategy as a tool for increasing engagement and reinforcing student learning. Goldina, Licona, and Ricci (2020) recommend that effective extra credit activities connect with the course content and must be aligned with student learning objectives. In teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology, they offered extra credit assignments that were either reflective or creative activities. Extra credit assignments created by these faculty were also aligned with the development of higher levels of learning according to Bloom’s taxonomy; students needed to be able to apply, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize rather than just memorize and understand. This allowed students to deepen their understanding and provided for additional feedback. A reflective assignment might require students to interpret (analyze on Bloom’s taxonomy) a recent scientific finding that is relevant to a topic in the course and explain(apply) the significance of this work. Creative assignments developed by these faculty were interdisciplinary or community-based projects that allowed students to combine the sciences with the arts and work with a community organization to apply skills in a real-world application (Goldina, Licona, & Ricci, 2020).
Romero (2018) created extra credit activities used in her literature class that also aligned with course objectives and higher order thinking. These included responses to other students’ work, writing a reflection, and creative projects like a class blog, multi-media projects, and event attendance with “takeaway” responses.
The Teaching Professor recently conducted a call for response requesting sample extra credit assignments and activities. These include assignments designed to develop study skills, metacognition, and promote content mastery. One creative strategy was the creation of a class badge system for extra credit. Access to The Teaching Professor is available through the university’s Magna subscription and faculty can activate their personal account by following the instructions in the Academic Community in Blackboard. The article “A Sample of Extra Credit Assignments” (2020) was written by Maryellen Weimer and worth the read.
Bonus questions on exams are a common extra credit strategy and can help ease test taking anxiety. Fun bonus points like “What did you find most interesting/challenging about this topic” or “What did you like most/least about this class?” can also be a way to collect informal feedback for improving the course.
Another good resource is MSU’s Knowledge Base on how to add extra credit in Blackboard. Contact the FCTL if you would like to discuss any of these strategies, explore other extra credit ideas, or for assistance with creating extra credit assignments in Blackboard.
Additional Reading and Resources
Anderson, L., and Krathwohl, D. (2001). Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Pearson.
Goldina, A., Licona, P., and Ricci, P. (2020). Creating extra credit assignments that challenge, inspire, and empower students. HAPS Educator – Journal of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, August 2020, pp. 86-89. https:doi.org/10.21692/haps.2020.104
Romero, E. (2018). 5 Extra credit activities that promote engaged learning. Ever Educating! https://www.evereducating.com/extra-credit-activities-promote-learning/
Weimer, M. (2020). A sample of extra credit assignments. The Teaching Professor. (Subscription access can be found through the Bb Academic Community).