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Bb Tip #24: Grade Center – Extra Credit

You can setup the Grade Center to calculate points for extra credit. Calculating extra credit is different in Blackboard version 8 than it was in earlier versions of Blackboard.

Follow these steps to do it.
To include extra credit points get into the [Control Panel] of the course in which you want to add the extra credit. Click on the [Grade Center] link (located under Assessments). Create an grade column for the extra credit and enter 0 (zero) in the points possible field. Refer to Tip #18 for information on creating a grade column. Next, find the Total Points column (or the column being used to display the total points) and click on the arrows in the column heading and select [Modify Column]. Under the Select Columns: Include in Total section, choose the [Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories] option. A new section for selecting columns and/or categories will be revealed. Existing grade column names will appear in the Columns to Select box on the left side of the screen. Select each column, making sure to include the extra credit column(s), but be careful not to include the Total Column within your selections. To highlight multiple columns at once, hold the CTRL key while clicking on the column names. Mac users can hold the Command key while clicking on the column names. After all columns are selected, click the arrow to move the columns to the selected columns area and click Submit when done. Extra credit points will now be reflected in the updated total column.

NOTE: If you add columns to the Grade Center later, you should update the column selections because they will not automatically be included in the total points calculations. Also, this suggestion for handling extra credit will not work if you are using weighted grades. If you must use weighted grades, you should download a copy of the Grade Center and calculate the students grades with the extra credit outside of the Grade Center.

Want more information?
Step-by-step instructions are available [PDF].
Visit the Blackboard FAQs for additional Blackboard information
or email or call Janice Florent: (504) 520-7418

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