Offering extra credit can provide an additional challenge for students or provide them a chance to improve their score. Extra credit should be available equally to all students and should not penalize those who do not attempt it. Keeping that in mind, the biggest determinant of how you set up your extra credit in Canvas is whether you are using a points-based gradebook or a weighted gradebook.
A Stand-alone assignment in a separate Assignment Group
Options for offering extra credit in a weighted gradebook are constrained. Assignment Groups determine the weights of various groups of course assignments. The weight of those assignment groups totals 100%. When offering extra credit, another Assignment Group must be created. The weight of this assignment group will push the total to greater than 100%. This ensures two things:
- Students who don’t complete the work are not penalized.
- The extra credit work does not receive undue weight as it would if it appeared in another Assignment Group (e.g., placing it in a Discussions group weighted at 40% of the total grade).
Example: The Assignment Groups would be weighted like this:
| Assignments | 40% |
| Discussions | 40% |
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Extra Credit | 1% |
| Total | 101% |
Because it is in its own Assignment Group and because of the way weighted grades are calculated, the extra credit assignment must have points assigned to it. Note: Do NOT select Do not count this assignment towards the final grade.
Adding points
CAUTION: Although the Canvas gradebook, SpeedGrader, or quiz Fudge Points allow you to add extra points, those points will be weighted according to the Assignment Group the assignment is in. Doing so will disadvantage students who do not complete the extra credit.
As a reminder, all opportunities for extra credit (just like all assignments) should
- Be related to the course or unit
- Have a deadline
- Make the requirements and grading criteria clear
Leave a Reply