Create a more simple, intuitive way to offer Extra Credit

[kakanczu]

Currently, if a faculty member utilizes Weighted Groups there is no way to add a percentage of extra credit. For example, this is an example of the setup I would like:

• Test - 50%
• Homework - 30%
• Attendance - 10%
• Participation - 10%
• Extra Credit - 3%

The 3% Extra Credit would make the total 103%. Canvas allows you to create group weights that equal more than 100%. However, if we setup an Extra Credit Assignment within the "Extra Credit" Group it must be worth more than 0 points. If I give more than 0 points it will negatively impact students scores - if they only get a 2/5 or a 5/10 on the extra credit assignment they overall score will be docked.

A workaround is to create an Extra Credit assignment within a Group (an "out of zero" assignment). However this is a mathematical mess:

For example, solve this word problem:

• There are 150 points in the Assignments Group
• The Assignment Group is worth 40% of the total grade
• You would like to create an Extra Credit assignment that adds 3% to the total percentage score of the Assignments Group
• The student currently has 140/150 points, or a 93.33%

The solution to allow, when a Group is created, the opportunity to make that Group "bonus" or "extra credit." Alternatively, you could also all 0 points assignments to be created in an Extra Credit group although I assume there is a reason why this is not allowed now.

[Renee_Carney]

Sorry, I was a little ahead of myself in sharing this doc.  It is not ready for public, yet!

[jolaine]

The "Make this extra credit" should not be limited to the Assignment group, but to any assignment, including quizzes.  In our former CMS, there was a simple check box that said "extra credit."  Our faculty are struggling mightily with trying to figure out how to do it in Canvas. It shouldn't be this complicated!

[ambouche]

We need to be able to designate a quiz as extra credit.  The way Canvas builds quizzes, that seems impossible, unless I am missing something.

[pniner]

I usually pick the category that I want the bonus points to help, like in-class assignments or homework, then create a zero-points "BONUS" assignment within that category. Any entered credit then helps out the appropriate students without hurting others.

It's a workaround but seems to work OK. I don't know that there's a need to engineer something that allows us to create a new, specific extra credit category. CANVAS just doesn't seem built that way.

[kona]

 @ambouche ​, it requires a work around, but yes, you can do it. See the following document - Creating an Extra Credit Quiz

[ambouche]

Thank you for the suggestion! We will take a look.

[professor_lovel]

I often want to give an extra credit assignment and I also want to be able to mark some questions on a quiz extra credit. I'm trying to do this right now, but apparently  my students won't be getting extra credit this time because I'm not going to grade those questions manually which is the only current option.

[sweetera]

I agree that the Quiz tool needs some added features.  For regular Assignments it is easy enough, by making point values zero--so any points added by Instructor are calculated as extra credit. It may be worth adding as an assignment setting so that this displays more clearly to students and Instructors.

The Quizzes feature really needs updating with settings--for entire  Quizzes and also individual questions--that will track answers and record fully, while counting for students' grades but not against.  This is programmable and needs to be built-in without requiring elaborate work arounds. 

[ambouche]

This works only for assignments.  It does not work for Quizzes.  We desperately need a way to offer an Extra Credit quiz.  Work-arounds that used to work for this no longer do.  If we can't check a box that designates a quiz as extra credit, then perhaps the idea of creating a gradebook category that could be designated "extra credit" would be a solution.

[franke]

Is this feature anywhere near "consideration" for upcoming releases?  We could really use it!

[Renee_Carney]

 @franke ​

Thank you for checking in.  There is no status update at this time.

[jgro2]

AMEN.  It shouldn't be that hard for a LMS as robust as Canvas !

[Renee_Carney]

This idea was moved from Under Consideration stage (no longer in use) to the Product Radar stage.  

This change was made as part of a feature idea process evolution.  Find more information, and contribute insights, by joining Focus Group: DRAFT Feature Idea Space. 

[marcocurreli]

The ability to offer Extra Credit points to students is something every instructor needs and will use.

I can see old comments in which Canvas said it had this proposed idea "under consideration" or "under the radar" for a couple of years, but we STILL DON'T HAVE it ready for use!

Implementing an "extra credit tool" should not be difficult from a development perspective.
Can Canvas update us on the status of this tool and give us an "estimated time of delivery"? I'm ready to use it as soon as available. 

Thanks in advance.

[marcocurreli]

Question for  @Renee_Carney ‌:

It seems there is a need for a feature to create Extra Credit Quizzes and there is enough support in this tread. HOwever, I don't see this projected listed under Priority: Quizzes.Next. How can we add it?

[jolaine]

I find it hysterical that Canvas chose to name their blog "Extra Credit" - a feature they don't even offer!  Trying to explain to the faculty how to set up extra credit in their weighted gradebooks at the end of every semester is a nightmare. 

[kona]

 @marcocurreli ‌, on Friday I was in a web conference as a beta tester for https://community.canvaslms.com/community/ideas/quizzesnext?sr=search&searchId=5345569b-e4cd-4f86-82...‌ and when we asked this question about extra credit quizzes we were told that it's more of a gradebook issue than a quiz issue. It's my guess that this is why it wasn't included. 

[kona]

I'm not saying it's necessarily straightforward if you have a percentage based gradebook, but there are a couple of options (one that can be done during the semester and one at the end) for doing extra credit and it does calculate correctly. Could you elaborate on why your faculty think it's a nightmare? It's good to have user cases posted on feature ideas. It helps Product Managers better understand the issues and what needs improved and why. 

[jolaine]

because it is a nightmare.  If you have weighted categories, you have to do these calculations to figure out how many points to give to make it give them one extra percentage point, etc., but it's crazy.  In our previous LMS, we just checked a box that said "extra credit."  That's all there was to it and no one can accept why Canvas doesn't have that feature.  It really is ludicrous.

[kona]

 @jolaine , if it's 1% overall then you can add an assignment group worth 1% (so the total for the course would be 101%) and then add the extra credit points to this assignment group.