Extra Credit....

As the quarter drags on, a few of my students have begun to notice  how their not turning in assignments in the first half has effected their grades. Last Wednesday, they asked about extra credit assignments: extra writing assignments. To this, I inwardly groaned, but externally smiled and told them I'd think about it.

If I give them extra credit assignments, it means extra work for me so that they can catch up to the work that they should have done earlier on in the quarter. Granted, it's a class of first year students and they're only just getting used to the work load, but there are also a good handful of students who have not only kept up with the work, but have worked very hard on each assignment. Is it fair to them to offer extra credit? I put it to a vote, and they said they didn't care. We discussed library/writing center workshops that I'd told them about earlier on in the quarter, and then told them I'd have to think about an extra credit project that they could work for.


I didn't want an extra credit written assignment that would simply "save" their grade - I wanted them to understand the importance of working towards the grade on their own. My alternative to written assignments:

Extra Credit: 5 points. This is HALF a letter grade
Friday 12/2 and Monday 12/5 have been marked as “workshop”days in our syllabus in order to hold those days should we need to push our portfolio project back. What I propose is this:

• Should you fulfill the below requirements, you will be eligible to receive extra credit for giving a 5-10 minute presentation of your research on those days.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:
1. From this day, November 4, 2011, ALL of your assignments must be turned in ON TIME.
2. You must participate in class discussion/workshops/etc., etc. to the best of your abilities.
In other words: You must put forth the effort to raise your grade yourself. If you meet these requirements, you will be eligible to take part in the extra credit assignment.

I know it sounds harsh, but I don't think they should be given extra credit - they should earn it. I think half a letter grade is fair enough if they do the work. 

What do you think?