Rubrics are a way to communicate expectations and assess student work. These tools typically involve breaking down performance into levels with clear descriptions of the expectations for achievement in each level. Rubrics help students by giving clear guidelines and help instructors provide consistent feedback.
Create a Rubric
To add a rubric to an assignment:
1. Click on “Assignments” from the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Create a new assignment by clicking "Add A New Assignment +", or navigate to the assignment you wish to add a rubric to. If you're modifying an existing assignment:
a. Click the assignment name. You will be taken to the "Descriptions and Downloads" page which displays the descriptions and attachments of this assignment
b. In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, find the button for "Edit" which will allow you to make changes to the assignment
3. Next, click on the "Grading" tab. The Grading screen allows you to create a rubric for an assignment. There is also an option to "Copy Rubric from Another Assignment" if you have one already associated with another assignment that you want to reuse. In the upper right-hand corner, you'll see the total points available to assign (points for the assignment are set on the Assignment page).
4. Rubrics are built by criterion (categories of feedback like content, writing, research, etc.) and levels (satisfactory, excellent). Start by clicking on “Add Criterion” and entering a name for the criterion, and the maximum number of points a student could earn for it. A description is available to provide more feedback on what you are assessing.
5. Once you click save, you will see two default levels for your criterion. The defaults are "No Credit" and "Full Credit" and these are completely customizable. Adjust the name and point values to what makes sense in your rubric. If you need to add another level, click the "+ Level" box. Levels will automatically rearrange to be in the correct order.
a. At the bottom of each level, there is a setting for "Set as Meets Expectations." If you select this option, then students will not receive points if they achieve anything less than that level. This will set a visual marker to the student that any points they achieve below the marked criterion hasn’t met expectations.
b. You also have the option to add a badge to a level. If you do this, a student will receive the badge by achieving the designated point level.
6. Add additional criterion and levels as necessary.
Use a Rubric
To grade an assignment using a rubric:
1. Click on “Assignments” from the left-hand navigation bar and select the specific assignment you want to grade. Alternatively, navigate to "Grading Status" from the left-hand bar to find any ungraded submissions.
2. Choose which student's submission you wish to grade, and select "Grade" on the right side of the screen, as shown below:
3. At this point, you will be able to assess each criterion using the rubric's levels.
4. For each criterion, you can type additional feedback for the student. If you would rather upload a file with feedback, you can do this by scrolling down to "Upload Feedback or Enter Below" and selecting "Choose File."
5. You also have the option to adjust final points by adding or subtracting points from the student's final grade. For example, if a student submitted an assignment late, you may choose to deduct 5 points by entering "-5". You are also able to award a badge by selecting the check box next to the badge.
6. Finally, select "Submit Grade" to save your changes.
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