Blackboard: Rubrics

A rubric shows students exactly what they will be graded on, how much each part or category is worth, and where their assignment fell on the scale set up for the assignment. In Blackboard, faculty can use rubrics as an easy way to grade assignments as the rubric boxes are interactive and Blackboard will calculate the points earned. There are still text boxes that can also be used to provide written feedback. Using a rubric on an assignment is entirely optional.

Creating a New Rubric

To set up a rubric, go to the left-hand nav bar and under "Course Tools" click on "Rubrics". 

Click on "Create Rubric" on the next page. 

Here you can name your rubric. If it's for one assignment only, you may want to name it the same as the assignment. If it will be the same for multiple assignments, you may want to use a general name such as "Homework Rubric". 

On the second half of this page, you will create your rubric. Every part of this can be changed- the names on the columns and rows, the point values, whether you choose percentages or points, etc. More columns and rows can also be added. The text boxes in each square can have a description. For example, maybe the students receive 5 points if they exceed expectations on grammar, spelling, and writing skills but a 4 would be if they met expectations. Adding these small descriptions to each helps a student understand why they received the grade that they did and how they can improve. 

Use the drop-down arrows next to each item to adjust to your needs. Once you've completed all rows and columns, hit "Submit". 

Attaching a Rubric to an Assignment 

You can add a rubric to an assignment while you're setting up the assignment itself or at any time using the "Edit" option on the assignment.

In the assignment, below "Points Possible", click on the drop-down that says "Add Rubric" and click "Select Rubric". You can also create a new rubric with this option instead of going through the "Course Tools". 

Check off the rubric you'd like to use and click "Submit". If you plan to use more than one rubric, you will have the option to select multiple rubrics. 

This is how it will appear once attached to the assignment. 

If you'd like the students to see the graded rubric, change the last setting to "Yes (with Rubric Scores)". If this is set to "No", students will only see their final grade with no feedback. 

Using the Rubric to Grade an Assignment

When you are grading an assignment, the rubric will be on the right-hand side. It may appear as this small collapsed blue line. Click the down arrow to open it if it is not already open. 

Click on the stacked paper icon to open the rubric for grading.

The rubric will pop up in a new window. This is an interactive rubric for you to select the corresponding boxes and leave written feedback for the student. When you have finished, click "Save".

If you need to edit the rubric at any time, go to the "Rubrics" option under "Course Tools" as shown at the top of this article. Use the drop-down arrow next to the rubric you would like to edit and click "Edit". You can also duplicate a rubric if you want to use almost the exact same rubric for another assignment but with some changes.