Effort Grades

Academic success comes from inputting effort into one's studies to achieve maximum scores. However, there are times when students put up a lot of effort but still find the job difficult. Some students become disinterested and decide not to finish an assignment when it becomes difficult to do classwork or schoolwork. In these situations, earning an effort grade could encourage students to work harder while reducing some of the detrimental impacts of grading (Schinske & Tanner, 2014). Students will be more engaged if they become aware that point values may not be as important to them as the time and effort required to finish a task (Dunn et al., 2021).

Students rely on a grading system to determine their academic standings based on performance. However, interest and the techniques utilized for education and grading may influence a student's effort. As a classroom teacher, I must use creative ways to influence and increase students' interest. Therefore I favor effort grades if doing so will motivate students to complete their coursework successfully. Giving students credit for their effort should not be connected to their academic marks, although it may impact performance. Gaining extra credit may improve academic achievement and aid in students' success. Making effort grades a crucial component of instruction and learning can support classroom management by promoting order. Additionally, there are times when students may experience overwhelming feelings if earning additional points involves extra work (Dunn et al., 2021). However, motivated students will take the required steps to achieve their academic goals, such as seeking the teacher's help when necessary.

References

Dunn, B. L., Fontanier, C., Luo, Q., & Goad, C. (2020). Student Perceptions of Bonus Points in Terms of Offering, Effort, Grades, and Learning. NACTA Journal, 65, 169–173.

Schinske, J., & Tanner, K. (2014). Teaching more by grading less (or differently). CBE—Life Sciences Education, 13(2), 159–166. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.cbe-14-03-0054