What is a rubric?
In simple terms, a rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria for an assignment. Rubrics can help students to organise their efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Instructors can use rubrics to explain their evaluations to students. You can add a rubric (marking grid) to help you mark a Blackboard assessment (assignment dropbox, discussion or journal). A rubric clearly indicates marking criteria. It can be used for marking assignments, class participation, or overall grades.
About rubrics
Rubrics in Blackboard Learn are made up of rows and columns. The rows correspond to the various criteria for an assignment. The and explains marking criteria to students and markers and facilitates consistency and transparency in the evaluation of students' work.
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In Blackboard, the rows represent the assessment criterion and its weighting. The columns correspond to the level of achievement expressed for each criterion. A Each cell has a description and point value for each cell in the rubric defines the evaluation and score of an assignment. There is no limit to the number of rubrics that can be created.
Example of a typical rubric
A typical marking rubric contains the assessment marking criteria, the level scale and the associated level descriptors. Marking criteria will elaborate on the module learning outcome(s) and will provide the finer detail of what is expected in submitted work. The associated descriptors will differentiate between levels of performance.
Criteria | 50-59% | 60-69% | 70-79% | 80-100% |
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Spelling and grammar | Several errors | A few errors | Some errors | No errors |
Knowledge of | Demonstrates limited knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies | Demonstrates some knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies | Demonstrates considerable knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies | Demonstrates thorough and insightful knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies |
Critical and creative thinking skills | Uses critical and creative thinking skills with limited effectiveness | Uses critical and creative thinking skills with moderate effectiveness | Uses critical and creative thinking skills with considerable effectiveness | Uses critical and creative thinking skills with a high degree of effectiveness |
Communication of information and ideas | Communicates information and ideas with limited clarity | Communicates information and ideas with some clarity | Communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity | Communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and with confidence |
Rubric types in Blackboard
There are three rubric types in Blackboard:
Standard rubric - this is a quantitative rubric which allows you to enter scale values and criteria percentages. The maximum value for the standard rubric will be the same as the highest scale value entered.
Qualitative rubric - allows you to create a rubric that has no numeric scoring.
Custom rubric - this less commonly used rubric allows you to enter any value directly into the rubric cells. The maximum value for the custom rubric will be the sum of the highest value entered in each of the criteria rows.
A standard/ quantitative rubric in Blackboard uses Points and Percentage to calculate an overall grade. Select No Points to provide a rubric with no scoring which a value describing the level of achievement in the criterion.
The rubric can then be viewed by students during their submission:
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You can view the rubric when you are marking the student’s submission by clicking on the rubric icon in the right hand side. As you select or enter values for each criterion the student mark will be calculated automatically.
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Rubric types in Blackboard
Blackboard assessments support four types of rubrics:
Percentage - Each level of category (column) is assigned a specific percent value, for example the Excellent column is assigned the value of 100%. Selecting a level of achievement automatically increments the total mark with this value
Percentage Range each level of category (column) is associated with a range of percentages, for instance in the example above the outstanding column has a range of 80-100%, you need to select the specific value within that range when grading the submissions.
Points - Each category (column) is assigned a point value. Selecting a level of achievement automatically increments the total mark with this value. Use 0 points for a qualitative rubric.
Points Range - Each category (column) is assigned a range or point values. The sum of the highest values should represent the total possible points that can be earned for that assignment or test. Instructors will be asked to select the specific value within that range when grading the submissions..
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Qualitative Rubrics Select 0 Points to provide a rubric that provides qualitative feedback only. This gives you a purely descriptive rubric |
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. The overall student mark is zero, but |
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Sample Blackboard Rubrics
The Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement have created some sample Blackboard Learn Rubrics for staff, based on the Ulster University Assessment and Feedback Handbook. Rubrics are commonly referred to as Quantitative (include scale values and criteria percentages) and Qualitative (no numeric scoring).
Creating rubrics
The guidance below shows how to set up a standard/ quantitative rubric.
Overall workflow for creating rubrics:
add the rubric
define its criteria
specify achievement levels
add weights and percentages
Login to Blackboard.
Select the programme you will be working in from the Course List.
From the Control Panel select the Course Tools link. The Course Tools menu will expand.
Select the Rubrics link. The Rubrics page will open.
Type a Name for the Rubric. The name is the title text that identifies the rubric.
Enter a description of the rubric to make it easier to associate it to relevant assignments.
To edit the Rubric Grid:
Select Add Row to add a new criterion at the bottom of the grid.
Select Add Column to add a new level of achievement to the grid.
Select Show Points to enter a single point value for each Level of Achievement.
Select Show Point Range to enter a high and low value to create a point range for each Level of Achievement. Only one option can be selected.
Select Edit from the contextual menu of the labels identifying rows and columns to change their names.
Enter a point value or range of values for each cell.
Enter a description defining the criteria and the associated Level of Achievement.
Select the Submit button to save your Rubric.
Example of an Instructor rubric set up in an assignment
Example seen from an actual student feedback perspective in 'Gradecentre’
How to Apply a Rubric in the Grade Center
Access the Grade Center.
Find the column you would like to associate your Rubric with. From the contextual menu of that column, select View and Add Rubrics. A pop-up will open.
Select Add Rubric.
Select the Rubric you want to add.
Select the Submit button.
You will be returned to the pop-up page. There are two icons under the Actions column, View Rubric or Remove Rubric Association. When you select View Rubric, the Rubric will open in a new window for you to view while you are grading your student's assignments.
Using the Rubric to mark offline assignments
Having created a Rubric, you’re not simply limited to using it with the built-in tools.
Access the Grade Center.
Select the Create Column button.
Video Help
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Some extra info here.you can override the final mark.  |
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To date, there is no way to hide the 0 points value in this type of rubric. |
Adding a rubric to your assessment
There are three ways to add a rubric to your Blackboard assessment (assignment dropbox, discussion or journal)
You can create a rubric within an assessment e.g. a Blackboard assignment
You can create a new rubrics from within the Gradebook and associate it with an assessment later.
Rubrics can be copied from previous Original or Ultra modules
Creating a new rubric in your assessment
Open your assessment for instance Blackboard assignment dropbox, click on the cog to open the settings.
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This will open the assessment settings at the side. Scroll down to the Additional Tools section, select Add marking rubric
This opens up the Add Marking Rubric options. Select Create
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This will open up an empty rubric template with four achievement columns with percentage marks and four empty criteria rows each weighted at 25%.
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Click on “New Rubric” to add a meaningful name to your rubric.
Select your preferred rubric type e.g. Percentage Range from the Rubric Type drop-down menu.
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Along the top of the columns, you have the levels of achievement: Excellent, Satisfactory etc. If you need to add another level, e.g Very Good, mouse over the vertical border between the cells in the top row between Excellent and Satisfactory. Click on the plus that appears
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Add in the achievement level e.g. Very Good in the text box, click outside the textbox to confirm the edit.
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To edit an achievement level, mouse over the right hand side of the cell and a pencil icon will appear. Click on it to edit the name of the column. Click outside the cell to confirm the text edit.
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In the first column, mouse over the right hand side of each cell until the pencil appears …
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… then click to add text to the Criterion text box
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If you need to add another criterion, mouse over the border of the cells in the first column and click on the plus.
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Add your criterion and then add in the weighting of that category. When you add the weighting you’ll get a warning that your weighting isn’t balanced. You can choose to add your own weighting or balance the values evenly using Balance Criteria.
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Mouse over each cell, click on the pencil icon to edit achievement descriptor and value.
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12. Select Save.
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And Save in the settings
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Your marking rubric will now appear in the settings in your assessment:
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Add a rubric within Gradebook
Select the Gradebook and then Markable items. Then go into Gradebook Settingsusing the cog icon.
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This opens the Settings side-panel, scroll down to Course Rubrics and select Create.
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On the New Rubric page, type a title (if you don't add a title, "New Rubric" and the date appear as the title)
Select Percentage Range from the Rubric Type drop-down menu.
By default, there are four criteria rows and four achievement level columns. Mouse over the border of the cells in the top row to create a new achievement level. Click inside the cells to edit levels, amend the percentage ranges and add a description.
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Mouse over the border of the cells in the first column to create a new Criterion. Click inside the cell to rename each Criteria to reflect your assignment learning outcomes.
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Amend the percentage weighting of each Criteria so the overall total is one hundred.
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Select Save.
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When you create a rubric, this will be available to use in the module in which it was created. You can also copy a rubric from one module to another. |
Copying rubrics from Blackboard Learn Original
In your module, in the Course content area, click on the plus + and select Copy Content from the drop-down menu.
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Choose the course that contains the rubric that you wish to copy, and expand the Rubrics folder containing the rubric(s) that you would like to copy.
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Select the rubric(s) you wish to copy.
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The chosen rubrics will appear in the selected items panel.
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Click Start copy to copy the rubrics to your ultra module.
These rubrics will appear in the Add Marking Rubric options for you to choose (see below).
Add an existing rubric to a Blackboard assessment
In your module, find the assessment that you would like to associate your rubric with.
Select the Assessment Settings cogto open the settings panel at the side
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Scroll down to Additional Tools, select Add marking rubric.
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To use an existing rubric, select the rubric you want from the list under the buttons and click Add.
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Then click Save
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Removing the rubric from the assessment
Select the Assessment Settings cogto open the settings panel at the side
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Scroll down to Additional Tools, to where the rubric is attached. Mouse over the panel on the right, a bin symbol appears. Click on the bin icon to remove the rubric from the assessment.
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NB This will not delete the rubric, the rubric is saved within Gradebook |
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