Blackboard Learn: Creating and Using Rubrics

Blackboard Learn: Creating and using rubrics

Office of Distance Education & Educational Technology
College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University
October 2012
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[ Blackboard help Search “rubric”]

What is a rubric?
As defined by Blackboard help (see link above): “A rubricis an assessment tool listing evaluation criteria for an assignment, and provides a means to convey to students your expectations for the quality of completed assignments.Rubricscan help students organize their efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment, and you can use them to explain evaluations to students.”

Why use a rubric?
Create and use rubrics within Blackboard to make your grading more efficient, consistent, and unbiased.

Where can a rubric be used?
A rubric can be attached to any gradable activity (assignment, blog, discussion, etc.), or toa manually entered gradebook column. If you have already created a rubric as a Word file and wantto use it in Blackboard, you will need to copy and paste the criteria into a new Blackboard rubric template. This doesn’t take much time and once created, a rubric can be copied into your other Blackboard courses. Keep this in mind when creating your rubrics.

How to create a rubric in blackboard

1. Click Course ToolsRubrics > Create Rubric. A rubric template opens.

2. Give the rubric a name and description (optional).

3. Specify whether you will be evaluating on a pointsorpercentage basis.

4. Change the row names to be the criteria that you will be evaluating students on. You can add and delete rows.

5. Change the columns so that they represent all levels of achievement in each criteria – make sure to include the entire range of possible accomplishment from “missing/nothing” to “perfect”.

• If you add an extra row when using percentages, be sure to click “balance weight” at bottom (see image,left).
• After you click “Submit” you should see your newly created rubric on the “Rubrics” page.

How to attach a rubric to an Assignment/Discussion/Blog

When creating an activity in your course, you must specify how it will be graded. You can click “Add Rubric”, then select an existing rubric stored in your course, or create a new one that will become part of your store of rubrics.
If you select a Rubric that is point based, the activity’s total possible score is set equal to the rubric total.

Features of Rubrics in Blackboard

• Can grade using different rubric types: No point value, Points, Point Range, Percent, Percent Range.
• Blackboard Rubrics allow you to include textual narrative.
• You may choose to share or hide the rubric with the students after you select the rubric that will be used. By default, rubrics are notshared.
• When using a rubric to grade assignments, you can change the view between Grid Viewand List View (see image, below).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use rubrics I’ve created in Blackboard in another course?

Yes! If you’ve created a rubric in one course you can exportit from class 1, then import it to class 2. Beware: do not edit the rubric outside of Blackboard.

To Exporta rubric:

• Click Course ToolsRubrics.
• Check mark the box next to the appropriate rubric, then click Export (see image, right).
• The next screen has two options:
• Export to Local Computer- Here you may save the file to your computer, and are also then able to send the rubric to anyone using a Blackboard course.
• Export to Content Collection- After clicking Browse, you are able to save the rubric to another course’s content collection within Blackboard. After choosing the appropriate course in which you wish to save to, click Submit.

To Import a rubric:

• Click Course ToolsRubrics> Import Rubric.
• Choose either Browse My Computer or Browse Content Collection, depending on where you saved the rubric file. Find the appropriate rubric and click Submit.
  

2. How do I give feedback using a rubric?

• After selecting the grade you wish to award the student, a box appears where you can enterfeedback comments to the student.
• Also, when grading the assignment there is a large “Feedback to User” boxwhere you can type extensive or overall comments the students.
  

3. How do I override an individual’s score for which I used a rubric?
To override an existing gradebased on a rubric:

• In the Full Grade Center, hover over the score you wish to adjust then select View Grade Details
• From the list of Actions available, select Edit Grade.
• UnderCurrent Grade Value, click View Rubric

You can now make different selections on the rubric, which will cause the student’s grade to change,

OR

You can override the grade that is calculated from the rubric key by typing in a score directly in the “Change the number of points” box.

4. Can I use more than one rubric per assignment?

Yes! You will have to choose a primary rubric, but you may attach more than one rubric to an assignment or grade book column.