Credit for Completion, not Quality

Intent

The goal of this play is to reward consistent effort and participation in learning activities, through a “full credit for completion” policy.

Problem

Traditional grading systems prioritize short-term performance and create anxiety, especially in challenging subjects, which can deter students from engaging fully with learning materials. These systems often emphasize external success markers over meaningful engagement, inadvertently undermining intrinsic motivation and long-term retention.

Solution

This approach focuses on grading students based on the completion of learning activities rather than the quality of their performance on each task. For example, students might receive full credit for completing problem sets and discussing them with peers, rather than being graded on correctness. This allows students to engage with material in a low-stakes environment, fostering confidence and encouraging practice. Correct answers are later reviewed collectively, with feedback provided to reinforce understanding without the pressure of performance-based grading.

Applicability

This play is especially effective in high-stress courses or fields where student anxiety is high. It is also well-suited for courses aiming to build foundational skills and confidence rather than advanced performance-based outcomes. However, it may be less applicable in advanced courses where detailed performance feedback is necessary to refine complex skills, or in contexts requiring strict performance metrics for certification.

It is open to student abuse if students were to put in low effort just to get the points (the author believes that fewer than 5-10 percent do this). It is also open to instructor abuse who wish to optimize for minimal grading time.

How to Implement

To implement this play, instructors should identify key activities that promote skill-building, such as problem sets or collaborative discussions. Establish completion-based credit for these tasks, ensuring students know that effort and participation, not perfection, are rewarded. Follow up each activity with detailed feedback sessions where correct answers and conceptual insights are provided. Encourage student reflections on feedback to deepen engagement with the material. For successful implementation, consistency and transparency in the activity criteria are crucial, alongside a supportive classroom environment where students feel safe to explore and make mistakes.

Source

Source: Bail, Frederick T. “Rewarding Practice: An Alternative Grading System.” Improving College and University Teaching 31, no. 3 (1983): 109–13. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27565562

Described by: Dan Garcia

Community Discussion

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