A point contingency for homework submission in the graduate school classroom.

Rehfeldt et al. (2010) tested a simple point system in a graduate class.

Students earned one point for each homework sheet they turned in on time.

The teacher used an alternating-treatments design: points on, points off, points on again across class meetings.

Homework came back more often when points were in play.

Quiz scores stayed the same no matter what.

In short, the carrot moved papers, not brains.

Shaw et al. (2024) later moved a point-laden interteaching style to online grad classes.

They also saw quiz gains but no jump in assignment marks, stretching the same mixed pattern to the web.

Wong et al. (2009) asked if extra-credit points inside undergraduate interteaching lifted exam scores; they did not, matching Anne’s null quiz result even though the classes and point rules differed.

Winett et al. (1972) showed big writing gains when fifth-graders earned tokens for each new word, proving point systems can boost academic output in younger students—hinting that graduate learners may simply be less sensitive to small point payoffs.

If you teach RBT coursework or supervise grad students, a quick point chart can rescue your inbox from late work.

Just don’t expect the same trick to raise test performance—pair it with active student responding or richer feedback if you want learning gains.