Extra credit without "tricking" Canvas

[rmkliman]

I've seen seen several questions relating to this, but no really good answer yet.  Canvas doesn't seem to have a way to make a quiz add 0 points to the denominator of the final grade -- that is, to be a true, standalone, extra credit quiz.  I'm assuming I just haven't figured it out, because the extra credit quiz has existed for eons and no LMS developer would accidentally forget to include it as a feature.  [I know how to add extra credit to exams, but those already have a non-zero denominator.]  Is there a straightforward way to do this -- that is, without resorting to a gimmick or workaround?  Thanks.

[Steven_S · Accepted solution]

In classic quizzes, just set the quiz to be worth zero points by making every question worth zero points.  When you grade manually you can enter any point value into the speedgrader for each question.  (I type the maximum points available in the textbox with the question, so that students know in advance how much the question is worth.)  When you grade the quiz the zero that the quiz is worth is used as the denominator, and the score tallied from whatever score you enter when you grade each question is the numerator.  I have never had a problem with this, and I do not consider it to be tricking the system.  I am giving it the denominator I want it to use as zero points for every question, and then I grade with the extra credit value I choose to assign an everything works as expected.  The only condition is that the extra credit assignment must be in an assignment group that includes at least one graded activity.  (Assignment groups that are entirely extra credit are a different conversation, but in that case the extra credit assignments do not require zeros as a denominator.)

In new quizzes, however, the assignment tab sets the quiz value, and the points earned on the quiz are automatically converted into an appropriate portion of those points.  The points you add in speed grader do not add points if your quiz was set to be worth zero points.  (It still works for individual questions however, so extra credit questions can be used to add more points than a normal graded new quiz is worth.)  I was able to manually replace the calculated zero with 100 points in the gradebook.  Manually calculating a score and by-passing the speedgrader to enter it directly into the gradebook, is definitely tricking the system.  Also, manually changing the grade in the gradebook seems to break the connection to update the score through the speedgrader. 

Unfortunately, this is a function that has not yet fully transferred to new quizzes.  There is an idea conversation open where you can express your support for adding extra credit quizzes as a function of new quizzes: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Idea-Conversations/Mark-a-Quiz-as-extra-credit/idi-p/374040

[rmkliman]

Thanks.  This is very helpful.  I'm a little surprised that Canvas hasn't explicitly managed extra credit.  It's not hard to program.  A simple radio button in the quiz/assignment properties would tell the grade calculator not to put points into the denominator.