Credit for Comments, Comments for Credit

Abstract

A survey in 2 undergraduate psychology classes (N = 93) found ambivalent attitudes toward credit for classroom participation. Although students viewed credit as a way to increase interaction and improve attendance, they also believed it could stimulate irrelevant comments and penalize shy students. The following year, in a class of 49 students, halfway through the course, the instructor offered a small amount of credit for office visits and for participation, but only on alternate days. The implementation significantly increased the amount of class discussion, with students reporting an increase in discussion quality. The policy also increased office visits, but did not significantly improve class attendance