Several other participant-recommended tips for maintaining one's sanity include collecting and commenting on rough drafts of written work long before final drafts are due, and giving extra credit for any work handed in prior to the deadline. Here are some ideas that luncheon participants shared for getting students to relate grades to the learning process. Some of these apply more to midterm exams and projects than to finals, but all can help prevent students from equating learning with grades. One suggestion that came up at several tables was to disabuse students of the idea that there is just one correct answer to a question. Help them to see that process is as important as product.
Many participants recommend encouraging students to defend their answers in constructive ways.
Students must write something relevant on this line to receive full credit, and points are deducted if the response is unrelated or missing. Participants also noted that students are less fixated on grades if they have some say about what work will be evaluated and how. Options include the opportunity to contribute questions that will make up the exam and the opportunity to write and answer bonus questions on things not covered by the exam. Participants agreed that students think less about grades and more about learning if given many opportunities to analyze their own preparation and performance. One participant stressed the importance of distributing the answer key as students exit the examination room, so that students can talk about their responses with each other in a timely fashion.