In this manual you will find an elaborate explanation about the features Can Exceed and Bonus, which you can turn on in Grades. Read more about using Grades in the manuals How do I use Grades in my course? and How do I create a grade item?
Can Exceed
Can Exceed serves as a compensation. For example: you have two Assignments with a maximum of 10 points each set up. If a student obtained a 9 for Assignment 2, and an 11 for Assignment 1 (because Can Exceed is turned on here) then Brightspace will count this as two times a 10.
If Can Exceed hasn't been turned on, Brightspace will count 10 points for Assignment 1, even if you enter more than 10 points.
Can Exceed is a feature that can be turned on for both grades and grade categories.
- Navigate to Grades.
- Click Manage Grades.
You will now arrive at the following page:
- Click the grade item where you want to turn on Can Exceed.
- Select Can Exceed.
- Click Save and Close.
The additional points that can now be earned with this grade item will compensate for the other grades within the same grade category. If you want there to be compensation points across different categories, you have to change the category as well. This applies when a student has obtained more points in a specific category than that category allows.
- Click the category containing the assignment for which you just turned Can Exceed on.
- Select Allow category grade to exceed category weight.
- Click Save and Close.
Bonus
The Bonus feature is similar to Can Exceed but works a little differently. When you turn Bonus on for a grade item, points obtained with this assignment will count as additional bonus points for the student. When a student does the bonus assignment, the points they receive will be added to the total calculation for the category or possibly between categories. The bonus assignment then serves as a compensation. Students who do not make the bonus assignment, but get zero errors on all of their other tests, will still receive an average grade of 10.
- Navigate to Grades.
- Click Manage Grades.
You will now arrive at the following page:
- Click the grade item you want to turn into a Bonus assignment.
- Select Bonus.
- Click Save and Close.
The Bonus item is now marked with a star.
The bonus points that can now be obtained in this grade item compensate for the other grades within the same category.
If you also want the bonus points to compensate for items across categories, you have to change the category as a whole as well. This applies when a student has obtained more points in a specific category than that category allows.
- Click the category containing the assignment where you have just turned on the Bonus feature.
- Select Allow category grade to exceed category weight.
- Click Save and Close.
You have now turned on Bonus.