Extra credit

Last updated

Extra credit is a way to gain points, particularly used in schools. [1]

Contents

Reasons for extra credit

Teachers employ extra credit for a variety of reasons. For example, it may be felt that students who are highly capable may benefit from an additional challenge that might not be suitable as required work for all students. Extra credit may also be used as a way to allow a student to improve their grade after a weak performance earlier in a course. In both of these cases, extra credit can promote differentiated instruction by factoring in optional work in the assessment of student performance.

Method of computation

Typically, participation in extra credit can only improve one's grade. Points might be added to an existing activity, for example, if the student correctly answers a more difficult portion of a test that would be required to meet the objectives of a unit. Optional activities may also add points or marks used in overall grade computation. This may, for example, increase the numerator of the fraction used in computing an overall percentage, while leaving the denominator unchanged. This can lead to grade percentages that exceed 100% unless the policy used for grade computations caps a grade at a maximum value.

Controversial aspects

Author Julia G. Thompson refers to extra credit as "a controversial topic for teachers." [2] In California, during late 2006, there was controversy when students were offered extra credits simply for buying course books in an effort to overcome a lack of resources. [3]

The concept has been featured in the titles of various works of fiction, including Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit [4] and the Degrassi: Extra Credit series. [5] [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

The Leaving Certificate Examination, commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert or (informally) the Leaving, is the final exam of the Irish secondary school system and the university matriculation examination in Ireland. It takes a minimum of two years' preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior Cycle examination. These years are referred to collectively as "The Senior Cycle". Most students taking the examination are aged 16–19; in excess of eighty percent of this group undertake the exam. The Examination is overseen by the State Examinations Commission. The Leaving Certificate Examinations are taken annually by approximately 60,000 students.

<span title="Latin-language text"><i lang="la">Matura</i></span> Name of final exam of high school in many countries

Matura or its translated terms is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries centered around the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM) are guidelines produced by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 2000, setting forth recommendations for mathematics educators. They form a national vision for preschool through twelfth grade mathematics education in the US and Canada. It is the primary model for standards-based mathematics.

A lesson plan is a teacher's detailed description of the course of instruction or "learning trajectory" for a lesson. A daily lesson plan is developed by a teacher to guide class learning. Details will vary depending on the preference of the teacher, subject being covered, and the needs of the students. There may be requirements mandated by the school system regarding the plan. A lesson plan is the teacher's guide for running a particular lesson, and it includes the goal, how the goal will be reached and a way of measuring how well the goal was reached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Jeremiah</span> Fictional character from the "Degrassi" franchise

Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah is a fictional character from the Degrassi teen drama franchise. He is portrayed by Pat Mastroianni. He debuted in the first episode of Degrassi Junior High and appeared throughout Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, and the first five seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation. As one of the main focus characters of the original two series, his role primarily concerns his friendship with Archie "Snake" Simpson and Derek "Wheels" Wheeler, his on-and-off romantic relationship with Caitlin Ryan, and in The Next Generation, his relationship with his stepson Craig Manning.

Joseph Torres, better known as J. Torres, is a Filipino-born Canadian comic book writer. He is perhaps best known for his run on DC Comics' Teen Titans Go!. He has also done some writing for animation and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Kim (comics)</span> Korean-Canadian comic book creator (born 1977)

Eric Kim is a Korean-Canadian comic book creator. He illustrated The Sidesteppers for Owl Magazine, has done freelance work for UDON Entertainment, illustrated Love as a Foreign Language for Oni Press, Degrassi Extra Credit #3: Missing You, as well as fantasy and role playing work.

Academic grading in Canada varies by province, level of education, by institution, and faculty. The following are commonly used conversions from percentage grades to letter grades, however, this is not necessarily meaningful, since there is not a uniform scheme for assigning percentage grades either.

Math wars is the debate over modern mathematics education, textbooks and curricula in the United States that was triggered by the publication in 1989 of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and subsequent development and widespread adoption of a new generation of mathematics curricula inspired by these standards.

Singapore's grading system in schools is differentiated by the existence of many types of institutions with different education foci and systems. The grading systems that are used at Primary, Secondary, and Junior College levels are the most fundamental to the local education system,

The ECTS grading scale is a grading system defined in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) framework by the European Commission. Since many grading systems co-exist in Europe and, considering that interpretation of grades varies considerably from one country to another, if not from one institution to another, the ECTS grading scale has been developed to provide a common measure and facilitate the transfer of students and their grades between European higher education institutions, by allowing national and local grading systems to be interchangeable. Grades are reported on a carefully calibrated and uniform A-to-F scale combined with keywords and short qualitative definitions. Each institution makes its own decision on how to apply the ECTS grading scale to its system.

In the United States, academic grading commonly takes on the form of five, six or seven letter grades. Traditionally, the grades are A+, A, A−, B+, B, B−, C+, C, C−, D+, D, D− and F, with A+ being the highest and F being lowest. In some cases, grades can also be numerical. Numeric-to-letter-grade conversions generally vary from system to system and between disciplines and status.

Corrective feedback is a frequent practice in the field of learning and achievement. It typically involves a learner receiving either formal or informal feedback on their understanding or performance on various tasks by an agent such as teacher, employer or peer(s). To successfully deliver corrective feedback, it needs to be nonevaluative, supportive, timely, and specific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation</span> Education system in India

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was a process of assessment, mandated by the Right to Education Act, of India in 2009. This approach to assessment was introduced by state governments in India, as well as by the Central Board of Secondary Education in India, for students of sixth to tenth grades and twelfth in some schools. It was intended to provide students with practice from a young age for the board exams. In 2017, the CCE system was cancelled for students appearing in the Class 10 Board Exam for 2017-18, bringing back compulsory Annual Board Exam and removing the Formative and Summative Assessments under the Remodeled Assessment Pattern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamification of learning</span> Educational approach aiming to promote learning by using video game design and game elements

The gamification of learning is an educational approach that seeks to motivate students by using video game design and game elements in learning environments. The goal is to maximize enjoyment and engagement by capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning. Gamification, broadly defined, is the process of defining the elements which comprise games, make those games fun, and motivate players to continue playing, then using those same elements in a non-game context to influence behavior. In other words, gamification is the introduction of game elements into a traditionally non-game situation.

This is a list of grading systems used by countries of the world, primarily within the fields of secondary education and university education, organized by continent with links to specifics in numerous entries.

Sex differences in education in the United States refers to the specific issues, such as gender-based discrimination related to coursework and use of disciplinary action, that American students of all genders encounter. Furthermore, while sex differences in education explains the prevalence of gender-based differences in education on a global scale, the American education system includes specific forms of gender discrimination dissimilar to other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High school in the United States</span> Institution which provides all or part of secondary education

High school or senior high school is the education students receive in the final stage of secondary education in the United States. In the United States most high schoolers are ages 14-18 but some ages could be delayed due to birthdays. Most comparable to secondary schools, high schools generally deliver phase three of the ISCED model of education. High schools have subject-based classes. The name high school is applied in other countries, but no universal generalization can be made as to the age range, financial status, or ability level of the pupils accepted. In North America, most high schools include grades 9 through 12. Students attend them following graduation from middle school.

References

  1. Lucas, Sandra Goss; Bernstein, Douglas A. (2004), Teaching Psychology, p. 36
  2. Julia G. Thompson, "Extra Credit Dilemmas and Solutions," The First-year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-to-use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day (Wiley_Default, 2007), 279.
  3. "For credit, students go buy the book", Shirley Dang, Contra Costa Times, 3 November 2006
  4. Richard Brightfield and Paula Danziger, Amber Brown Wants Extra Credit (Scholastic, 1997).
  5. Ed Northcott and J. Torres, Extra Credit: Turning Japanese (Simon and Schuster, 2006).
  6. Ramon Perez and J. Torres, Suddenly Last Summer: Degrassi Extra Credit #2 (Simon & Schuster, 2007).
  7. Eric Kim and J. Torres, Degrassi Extra Credit: Missing You (Simon and Schuster, 2007).