There are two ways to create extra credit items for a course in Brightspace. One option is creating the item in the gradebook. This method should be used when you do not want students to submit an item but you would like to provide points. The other option is to create a submittable item, and then turn the item into extra credit.
Important: Extra credit weights cannot be automatically distributed in a weighted gradebook. To ensure that extra credit assignments contribute to the overall grade, you must manually set their weight values. If the weight is not manually set, the extra credit assignment will be assigned a zero weight, and no points will be provided.
Create an Extra Credit Item in the Gradebook
1. To create an extra credit item for your course, start by clicking Grades in the navbar.
2. Next, click Manage Grades. Click the New button and then click Item from the drop-down menu.
3. Click the Numeric option as the grade item type.
4. Configure the "New Item" section settings in the properties tab. You will also need to configure the point value. You do not need to check the "Can Exceed" checkbox for the item because you will check it in the category you create or apply in the next steps.
5. Ensure the "Bonus" checkbox is selected, or the item you create will not be considered extra credit and will be counted in the gradebook as a graded item.
6. If you have not already created an extra credit category, you should make one at this point as it will help you troubleshoot errors in your gradebook. For more information about creating categories, reference Set up the Gradebook. To use an existing category, choose the category from the drop-down menu under the "Category" section, or create a new category by clicking [New Category].
7. The weight is important for extra credit as it adds the maximum % to the final grade. For this example, 10% of the final grade can be added as extra credit. You need to manually set the weights for extra credit, otherwise, the auto-distribution of weights will result in a zero and no extra credit will be provided.
8. Ensure the "Allow category grade to exceed category weight" checkbox is selected. Click Save and Close.
9. The extra credit item is now within the extra credit category. Note that "Extra Credit Item #1" has a star next to it; this means the item is considered a bonus and is not part of the gradebook.
10. Next, the "Final Calculated Grade" and the "Final Adjusted Grade" need to be allowed to exceed the category weight. The steps are the same for both. To make the change, click the arrow to the right of the category name, then click Edit from the drop-down menu.
11. Ensure the "Can Exceed" checkbox is checked for both categories otherwise the gradebook will only have a maximum of 100%.
12. You have now successfully created an extra credit item.
Create a Submittable Item as Extra Credit
1. To create a submittable item as extra credit for your course, start by clicking Content in the navbar.
2. Click +New Unit to create a new unit that will contain the extra credit. You can add the extra credit item to an existing unit if you choose to. In this example, an extra credit unit will be created. To create a unit, reference Add a New Unit to a Course.
3. After creating and choosing the unit that will contain the extra credit, click the Create New button to create the item inside the unit.
4. Click Assignment.
5. Configure the assignment settings based on your preferences, following the same process as creating a standard assignment. For more information about creating an assignment, reference Add a New Activity to a Course.
6. Once the assignment is created, start moving the item to the category you would like to locate it in by clicking on Grades in the navbar, then Manage Grades. Click on the arrow next to the assignment name, and then click Edit from the drop-down menu.
7. Select the category the assignment should be moved to from the drop-down menu under the "Category" section, or create a new category by clicking on [New Category]. For more information about creating categories, reference Set up the Gradebook by Weights.
8. Ensure the weight is set, and the "Bonus" checkbox is checked, or it will not be considered extra credit. Click the Save and Close button.
9. The submittable item is now within the extra credit category. The star indicates that the item is considered a bonus and not part of the gradebook.
10. Next, the "Final Calculated Grade" and the "Final Adjusted Grade" need to be allowed to exceed the category weight. The steps are the same for both. To make the change, click the arrow to the right of the category name and then click Edit from the drop-down menu.
11. Ensure the "Can Exceed" checkbox is checked for both categories otherwise the gradebook will only have a maximum of 100%.
12. Click Save and Close.
13. You have now successfully created an extra credit item. The image below reflects how the gradebook will display to students. In this example, the student's final grade is 110/100, demonstrating that the extra credit provided only 10% of the max grade.