Instructional Support

Awarding extra credit or bonus points

Using the bonus option allows students to earn extra credit. It is important to note that a bonus grade item does not add points to the total number of points possible in a course. It is designed to give credit to students who complete an assignment without negatively affecting the Final Grades of students who do not complete the assignment.

You can also set a grade item to worth more than the maximum points to allows students to earn extra credit. The can exceed grade item will add points to the total number of points possible in a course and affect the Final Grades, unless the bonus grade option is also selected.

  • Who is this for: Online Instructors
  • What is required: A grade item for which you would like to award extra credit

Step 1a: Designate the grade item as a bonus item

If you would like to allow the students to earn more points but do not want the grade to be added to the Final Grades. That way, if the students earn more than 100% for the category, the additional points will not count toward their overall grade.

  1. Go to the Grades area.
  2. Click on Manage Grades at the top of the page.
  3. Click on the grade item for which you would like to award extra credit.
  4. Under the Grading section, check the box marked Bonus.
  5. Click Save and Close at the bottom of the page.
  6. Click Yes on the confirmation window to confirm your changes.
  7. Verify that there is a star icon next to the name of the grade item, indicating that it is now a bonus grade item.

Step 1b: Designate the grade item as a can exceed item

If you would like to allow the students to earn more than the total points for a category, you will need to allow the category to exceed the total possible points. That way, if the students earn more than 100% for the category, the additional points will count toward their overall grade.

  1. Go to the Grades area.
  2. Click on Manage Grades at the top of the page.
  3. Click on the grade item for which you would like to award extra credit.
  4. Under the Grading section, check the box marked Can Exceed.
  5. Click Save and Close at the bottom of the page.
  6. Click Yes on the confirmation window to confirm your changes.
  7. Verify that there is a star icon next to the name of the grade item, indicating that it is now a bonus grade item.

Step 2 (optional): Allow the category to exceed the total

  1. Click on the name of the grade category.
  2. Under the Grading section, check the box marked Can Exceed.
  3. Click Save and Close at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: Allow the Final Grade to exceed the total

If you followed Step 1b to allow the grade item as a can exceed item, you will need to also follow Step 3 so that the Final Grade item can be calculated correctly.

  1. Click on the name of the final grade that you are using, either Final Calculated Grade or Final Adjusted Grade.
  2. Under the Grading section, check the box marked Can Exceed.
  3. Click Save and Close at the bottom of the page.