Rubrics

A rubric is an assessment tool for communicating grading criteria and assignment expectations. Rubrics are typically comprised of rows and columns. Rows are used to define the various criteria being used to assess an assignment. Columns are used to define levels of performance for each criterion. 

Rubrics can be set up as non-scoring rubrics, which allows for assessment-based and outcome-based grading without points. 

Important 

• You can add rubrics to assignments, quizzes, and graded discussions. 
• Be sure to enter criteria in the proper order, as they cannot be reordered after they are added to a rubric. 
• The Rubrics button in Course Navigation is only meant for instructors and is not available for students. Students will only see rubrics in Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes to which they have been attached. 
• Rubrics have to be set up in a special way when working with 3^rd Party Tools (such as VoiceThread). See “How to Use” > “Third-Party Tools and Rubrics” for more information. 

“How to Use” Resources

00:07: What are rubrics? 00:09: Account level rubrics are rubrics that are created at the account for sub-account 00:13: level. They can be used by any course within that account or sub-account for 00:17: assignments, discussions or quizzes. 00:20: If an account level rubric is used in more than one place, it becomes uneditable 00:25: but is still usable. Account level rubrics can be used 00:29: to create institutional or departmental question repositories. 00:33: The purpose of account level rubrics is to provide resources for teachers not 00:37: control content. For example, if the English Department offered 00:42: several courses to teach basic grammar rules to students a 00:46: department, could create a sub-account level rubric. 00:49: Instructors could then access the rubric to offer the same evaluation standards 00:53: to students in different courses. 00:56: Course, level rubrics are either created at the course, level or copied from the account 01:00: for sub-account level. Once a rubric has been used to assess 01:04: a student, the rubric cannot be edited. 01:07: However, existing rubrics can be recop and used on other assignments. 01:12: Use a rubric to. Communicate, assessment expectations to 01:17: users. Align predefined learning outcomes to your course, assignments 01:21: and assessments assess online submissions in the speed grader. 01:26: This guide covered rubrics.

• How do I create a rubric in a course?
• How do I manage rubrics in a course (including edits)?
• How do I add a rubric to an assignment?
• How do I add a rubric to a graded discussion?

Grading with Rubrics 

Once you associate the rubric with an assessment, make sure to select “Use this rubric for assignment grading” if you want to calculate the grade when using the rubric.

Third-Party Tools and Rubrics 

An important note about the use of rubrics associated with external (third-party) tools such as VoiceThread is that you must enable the tool first, then associate the rubric. The workflow for adding a rubric to an External Tool assignment is to create the assignment as a regular online submission type, save it, add the rubric, and then change the submission type to External Tool. 

Canvas updated Rubrics to allow the Add Rubric button after creating an external tool assignment.

Also note that, unlike a regular Canvas assignment, the rubric may not appear below the assignment when using a third-party tool. Instead, the rubric can be viewed by the faculty or student in the Gradebook, or by the faculty when using SpeedGrader.

Best Practices 

Rubrics are available to students before they submit their assignment (and after), so the student can see exactly what is expected of them and where they may need extra guidance.