Extra Credit can be given in three ways:

• Extra Credit for Total Points
• Extra Credit When Weighting Grades (Added to the category)
• Extra Credit When Weighting Grades (Added to the overall grade)

There are many reasons to give an extra credit assignment, but in all cases, the points must not penalize the students that do not complete the extra credit assignment. For example, if the total possible points for a semester is 1000 and students have the ability to earn an extra 50 points, a student has the potential to receive a maximum of 1050 points for the semester. However, if a student chooses not to do the extra credit, the student should not be penalize 50 points, but should still be able to earn the full 1000 points.

Extra Credit for Total Points

1. From the full Grade Center, click Create Column.
   
   
2. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Extra Credit would be an appropriate name.)
   
   
3. Primary Display should remain as Score.
   
   
4. Points Possible must be 0. When the points possible are 0, any points added to the student's cell will be above (extra credit) the total points possible for the course. If you place a number in this box, the number will be added to the total points possible for the course (1050 points in the example above) and students not completing the extra credit will be penalized.
   
   
5. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.

In the example above, Student 1 earned all possible 1000 points on the course assessments but did not complete the extra credit. Student #2 also earned all possible 1000 points on the course assessment but DID complete the extra credit. Student 1 is not penalized for not completing the extra credit.

Extra Credit When Weighting Grades 

Weighted totals are using the averages of individual columns.  Suppose you wanted to give a student 5 points extra credit and you credit an "Extra Credit" column worth 0 points and type 5 in the column.  In the weighted total calculation, the Blackboard system will try to take 5/0 to include in the calculations.  However, you cannot divide by 0.  It is mathematically impossible.  Hence, Blackboard throws it out and does not consider that 5/0 into the calculation (thus ignoring your attempt to add extra credit). Your options are to add the points to the category or to the overall grade.

Added to the Category

Example : Suppose you want to add 5 points extra credit to the quizzes.  In the Full Grade Center you would create an extra credit column worth 0 points. After adding the 5 points for each student to the extra credit column, create another column to calculate the quiz total. The quiz total column would include any columns that include quiz grades and the extra credit column. When you create the weighted total column, instead of adding the category "Quizzes" worth 20%, add the "quiz total" column for 20%.

1. From the full Grade Center, click Create Column.
   
   
2. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Extra Credit would be an appropriate name.)
   
   
3. The Primary Display should remain as Score.
   
   
4. Points Possible must be 0.
    
5. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
   
   
6. Add scores to the column.
   
   
7. Create another column to calculate the total of the columns and the extra credit. From the full Grade Center, hover over the Create Calculated Column button and click Total Column.
   
   
8. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Quiz Total or Assignment Total would be an appropriate name. Whatever category you are adding.)
   
   
9. The Primary Display should remain as Score.
   
   
10. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
    If you already have a weighted total column, check that the "Quiz Total" or "Assignment Total" is the column that is being weighted and not the category.
    
    
11. If you do not have a weighted total column you must create it. From the full Grade Center, hover over the Create Calculated Column button and click Weighted Column.
    
    
12. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Weighted Total would be an appropriate name.)
    
    
13. The Primary Display should remain Percentage.
    
    
14. Add the categories to the Selected Columns box on the right-hand side of the page. The only exception will be the total column that contains your extra credit. Instead of adding the category, add the total column (Quiz Total from the example above) to the Selected Columns box.
    
    
15. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.

Added to the Overall Grade

1. From the full Grade Center, click Create Column.
   
   
2. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Extra Credit would be an appropriate name.)
   
   
3. The Primary Display should remain as Score.
   
   
4. Points Possible must be 0.
   
   
5. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
   
   
6. Add scores to the column.
   
   
7. Create a "Final Total" column that includes the "Weighted Total" and the "Extra Credit" columns. From the full Grade Center, hover over the Create Calculated Column button and click Total Column.
   
   
8. Give the column a title in the "Column Name" box. (Final Total would be an appropriate name.)
   
   
9. Change the Primary Display to display Percentage.
   
   
10. In the Select Columns section, click the radio button for Selected Columns and Categories.
    
    
11. Add the "Weighted Total" and the "Extra Credit" columns to the Selected Columns box on the right-hand side of the page.
    
    
12. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.