Desire2Learn
Grades: Working with Extra Credit Points
Extra credit and bonus items provide an opportunity for students to improve their grade. The Desire2Learn Grades tool can help you apply additional credit efficiently and accurately. This document discusses four scenarios that can occur when offering extra credit points. For information regarding bonus items, refer to Grades: Working with Bonus Items.
Extra credit points are additional points offered in a single grade item.
EXAMPLE: A quiz has 10 questions, each worth 1 point. This grade item is worth 10 points. The quiz also has two additional questions each worth 1 point. A student answering all 12 questions correctly can receive 12 points (out of 10) for this grade item.
- Considerations
- Scenario 1: Extra Credit Applied to a Category in a Points-based Gradebook
- Scenario 2: Extra Credit Applied to a Category in a Weighted Gradebook
- Scenario 3: Extra Credit Applied to the Entire Points-based Gradebook
- Scenario 4: Extra Credit Applied to the Entire Weighted Gradebook
Considerations
Some factors need to be taken into consideration when using extra credit and bonus items with your D2L gradebook:
- Will the extra points be added to the gradebook as an extra credit or bonus item?
- Is your gradebook weighted or points-based?
- Will the extra points apply only to the category or to the entire gradebook?
- In a weighted gradebook, how much weight will be assigned to the extra credit points?
Scenario 1:
Extra Credit Applied to a Category in a Points-based Gradebook
In the following scenario, the total possible points in this points-based gradebook are 1000. This includes an Exam category worth 400 points (four exams each worth 100 points). The instructor wants to offer 10 extra credit points on two of the exams, making the total possible points for each of these two exams 110 out of 100. The extra credit points are to be applied only within the Exam category of the gradebook.
Creating the Grade Item
-
From the Course Home page, click GRADES
-
Select the desired Category
OR
Create a new Category
For more information, refer to Creating and Setting Up Categories.
-
In the Grading section, do not select Allow category grade to exceed total points
-
Create a new Grade Item within the new category
For more information refer to Creating Grade Items.
-
In the Grading section, in the Points text box, type the total number of points the grade item is worth (not including the extra credit)
EXAMPLE: If the exam is worth 100 points but also has 10 additional extra credit points available, type 100 as the Points value. -
Select Allow grade to exceed points
Discussion of the Outcomes
The Perfect Score
The student who earns full points on all grade items in the gradebook and earns the 10 extra credit points on the two exams receives a final grade of 1000 points. In other words, the extra credit points do not improve a perfect score.
The Less-Than-Perfect Score
This student earns 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 1, 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 2, 90 points on Exam 3, and 100 points on Exam 4. On the project, this student earns 90 points. The student earns full points on all additional items in the gradebook. The final grade for this student is 990/1000 points.
NOTE: Even though the student earned 20 extra credit points, these points can be used to offset points lost only in the Exam category. Therefore, points lost on the project are not offset by the extra credit points because the project is outside of the Exam category.
Scenario 2:
Extra Credit Applied to a Category in a Weighted Gradebook
In the following scenario, the total possible score in this weighted gradebook is 100%. Each of the ten grade items (regardless of the category) is worth 10%. For example, the Exam category, worth 40% of the final grade, has 4 exams, each worth 10%. The instructor wants to offer 10 extra credit points on two of the exams. The extra credit points are to be applied only within the Exam category of the gradebook.
Creating the Grade Item
-
From the Course Home page, click GRADES
-
Select the desired Category
OR
Create a new Category
For more information, refer to Creating and Setting Up Categories.
-
In the Grading section, do not select Allow category grade to exceed total weight
-
Create a new Grade Item within the new category
For more information refer to Creating Grade Items.
-
In the Grading section, in the Out Of text box, type the total number of points the grade item is worth (not including the extra credit)
EXAMPLE: If the exam is worth 100 points but also has 10 additional extra credit points available, type 100 as the Out Of value. -
Select Allow grade to exceed weight
Discussion of the Outcomes
The Perfect Score
The student who earns full points on all grade items in the gradebook and earns the 10 extra credit points on the two exams receives a final grade of 100%. In other words, the extra credit points do not improve a perfect score.
The Less-Than-Perfect Score
This student earns 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 1, 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 2, 90 points on Exam 3, and 100 points on Exam 4. On the project, this student earns 90 points. The student earns full points on all additional items in the gradebook. The final grade for this student is 99%.
NOTE: Even though the student earned 20 extra credit points, these points can be used to offset points lost only in the Exam category. In this scenario, the offsetting extra credit points were easily applied to the category because all grade items within the Exam category were weighted equally.
Scenario 3:
Extra Credit Applied to the Entire Points-based Gradebook
In the following scenario, the total possible points in this points-based gradebook are 1000. This includes an Exam category worth 400 points (four exams each worth 100 points). The instructor wants to offer 10 extra credit points on two of the exams, making the total possible points for each of these two exams 110 out of 100. The extra credit points are to be applied to the entire gradebook.
Creating the Grade Item
-
From the Course Home page, click GRADES
-
Select the desired Category
OR
Create a new Category
For more information, refer to Creating and Setting Up Categories.
-
In the Grading section, select Allow category grade to exceed total points
-
Create a new Grade Item within the new category
For more information refer to Creating Grade Items.
-
In the Grading section, in the Points text box, type the total number of points the grade item is worth (not including the extra credit)
EXAMPLE: If the exam is worth 100 points but also has 10 additional extra credit points available, type 100 as the Points value. -
Select Allow grade to exceed points
Discussion of the Outcomes
The Perfect Score
The student who earns full points on all grade items in the gradebook and earns the 10 extra credit points on the two exams receives a final grade of 1020 points. Since a student's final score cannot exceed 100%, the bonus points do not improve a perfect score.
NOTE: When a student earns a perfect score on all grade items and all bonus or extra credit points, their point total will be more than the total "out of points" for the gradebook. In order for the final grade to display the extra points earned, the final grade must be set to Allow calculated and adjusted final grade to exceed the total points. For more information regarding the final grade, refer to Working with the Final Grade.
The Less-Than-Perfect Score
This student earns 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 1, 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 2, 90 points on Exam 3, and 100 points on Exam 4. On the project, this student earns 90 points. The student earns full points on all additional items in the gradebook. The final grade for this student is 1000 points.
NOTE: Since the student earned 20 extra credit points, these points can be used to offset points lost on any other grade item. In this scenario, 10 extra credit points offset the exam score of 90 and 10 extra credit points offset the project score of 90.
Scenario 4:
Extra Credit Applied to the Entire Weighted Gradebook
In the following scenario, the total possible score in this weighted gradebook is 100%. Each of the ten grade items (regardless of the category) is worth 10%. For example, the Exam category, worth 40% of the final grade, has 4 exams, each worth 10%. The instructor wants to offer 10 extra credit points on two of the exams. The extra credit points are to be applied to the entire gradebook.
Creating the Grade Item
-
From the Course Home page, click GRADES
-
Select the desired Category
OR
Create a new Category
For more information, refer to Creating and Setting Up Categories. -
In the Weight text box, type the percent number for the total weight of the category
-
In the Grading section, select Allow category grade to exceed total weight
-
Create a new Grade Item within the new category
For more information refer to Creating Grade Items. -
In the Grading section, in the Out Of text box, type the total number of points the grade item is worth (not including the extra credit)
EXAMPLE: If the exam is worth 100 points but also has 10 additional extra credit points available, type 100 as the Out Of value. -
Select Allow grade to exceed weight
Discussion of the Outcomes
The Perfect Score
The student who earns full points on all grade items in the gradebook and earns the 10 extra credit points on the two exams receives a final grade of 102%. Since a student's final score cannot exceed 100%, the bonus points do not improve a perfect score.
The Less-Than-Perfect Score
This student earns 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 1, 100 points + 10 extra credit points on Exam 2, 90 points on Exam 3, and 100 points on Exam 4. On the project, this student earns 90 points. The student earns full points on all additional items in the gradebook. The final grade for this student is 100%.
NOTE: Since the student earned 20 extra credit points, these points can be used to offset points lost on any other grade item. In this scenario, the offset resulted in a perfect 100% score only because all grade items in the gradebook were weighted equally.
