How and Why to Give Optional Assignments

As an educator, I’ve utilized optional classroom assignments for years as a way to champion the idea of learning for the sake of learning. These activities are an opportunity to create space for student curiosity and academic responsibility, and to build an intrinsic desire for knowledge. I primarily use them to have students access additional details and context that may interest them. I also add materials so that students can encounter concepts multiple times, in an attempt to lower related anxiety and build academic confidence.

Optional materials add an extra layer to required class assignments. They can also create a safety net for students that want or need more support. They offer students additional ways to show their understanding and facilitate internal dialogue and decision-making when students reflect on whether they need extra practice. Plus, research reveals multiple academic benefits. One study of undergraduate chemistry students shows that completing optional academic tasks predicts course success in terms of engagement and course completion. And researchers found that elementary students’ interest in reading as well as their reading level increased after participating in optional book club activities.

Of course, it can be tough to garner interest, as students may initially resist the idea of additional work. I admit that one of my continual goals is to strengthen student participation. Here’s how I’ve been able to encourage students to engage in these activities.

Monitor Misconceptions

Early on, I communicate expectations around optional work to my students to help stave off questions such as “Do I have to…”. Students may worry that the work will require a huge time commitment. Be honest with the estimated time it may take in terms of reading, writing, editing, or other tasks. I emphasize that optional work is not busy work, and is designed intentionally for a student to gain a preview of future content or get additional practice with complex content.

Remember to differentiate the role of optional work versus make-up work. You might assign make-up work when a student misses instruction, whereas optional work is to supplement existing instruction.

If you include extra credit opportunities, decide whether the optional work can be used to earn extra points. If so, make it clear that all students are welcome to complete the optional task for extra credit, and remind students early and often. 

Be Proactive

Anticipate who may benefit from extra practice (such as students with lower performance on related classwork) and reach out to those select students. You may want to add in optional activities for units that have inspired more student questions or given them trouble in the past. For example, my introduction to psychology students can get confused with distinguishing between certain scientific research terms (such as independent variable vs. dependent variable). I provide optional material such as additional practice sheets, videos and resources from reputable websites such as Simply Psychology.

Plan fun titles for the optional work. According to a 2025 report by a professor and an instructional designer, student submissions increased 18 percent after renaming assignments. I strive to find playful and purposeful titles. Instead of “Optional Activity Unit 1,” I may use alliteration, “Optional Activity Unit 1: Getting to the Core of Correlations.”

Be intentional in how you present the optional work. Just asking students to do the optional activity may not be enough. Carve out specific time to introduce it. This may be at the start of a unit (to help students preview content) or even after a homework assignment (if performance was lower than expected). It may help to provide examples of what to expect so that students realize optional work would not mimic classwork. For instance, the homework may include a broad review covering a series of key terms, whereas the optional activity may focus on a more in-depth examination of two or three terms.

Also, I make a point to publicly acknowledge when I receive submissions. I hope that this shows my excitement to witness deliberate and independent practice in action. Similarly, this is an opportunity to praise effort, work ethic, or time management (rather than just the grade).

Finally, consider ways to improve the process. For example, how can I better support students in self-evaluating their optional assignments? Or how can I balance my push for extra practice with an appreciation for brain breaks? I continue to reflect on ways to define a good optional assignment: decrease in misconceptions, increase in interest, and uptick in submissions, etc.

Optional assignments in real classrooms

Need a little inspiration before rethinking optional assignments? A high school science teacher started using optional practice instead of homework, co-creating the practice with students and providing multiple options for students of different interest and skill levels.

In another example, a professor assigns a task or activity and then provides students with related readings; the readings are technically optional but students must read at least some of them to complete the assignment. To use this task-based approach with high schoolers, be sure to explicitly identify how to use the optional readings, such as to gather real-life examples or to compare events in the text to personal experience.