Rubrics: A Quick Guide

Grading doesn’t have to feel like guesswork—for you or your students. That’s where rubrics come in. Clear, flexible, and easy to use, rubrics can help you communicate expectations, provide consistent feedback, and save time.

Why Use Rubrics?

• Faster, easier scoring for teachers
• More accurate, unbiased, and consistent scoring
• More objective grading
• Encourage students to improve their performance
• Support student improvement / self-improvement
• Help students understand assignment expectations
• Increase grading transparency

When to Use Rubrics

Before you get started, consider if the assessment would benefit from a rubric. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are there several distinct criteria to assess? If not, you may not need a rubric.
• Is the assignment format flexible? If so, a rubric can work, but should accurately assess various formats. 
• Do you find yourself repeatedly having to explain or clarify expectations? A rubric can definitely help!
• Do students submit work that doesn't match your model or plan? A rubric can definitely help!

Designing Your Rubric

Designing a rubric can be a creative process, but it also requires careful thought and planning. Here are some tips to help you create an effective rubric.

General Tips

• Align to assignment outcomes
• Use a maximum of 5 - 7 criteria for focused feedback
• Write descriptions for levels of achievement distinct enough to quickly assign a level to each criteria.
• Write descriptions from the highest level of achievement then work back.
• Adopt the “not yet” approach, especially for low stakes activities
• Use ranges and weights for accuracy and transparency

Best Practices for Best Results

• Use as a guide, not a strict rule. And be open to revising...
• Use rubrics as a tool for formative assessment. When used for summative assessment, a rubric can feel like a "justification" for why a student did not excel. When used for formative assessment, the rubric can be framed as a guide to facilitate improvement.
• Involve students in rubric creation. Or, if not possible, consider asking how they would revise your rubric.

Watch Your Language

Terms describing student submissions as “Poor”, “Failing”, “Inadequate” and “Unsatisfactory” can be demoralizing and work against learning.

Try these more encouraging levels of achievement.

• Beginning—Developing—Accomplished—Exemplary
• Entering—Emerging—Developing—Expanding
• Attempted—Familiar—Proficient—Mastered
• Developing—Capable—Accomplished—Expert
• Novice—Competent—Proficient—Distinguished
• Align to Bloom's Taxonomy: define—explain—apply

Building Your Rubric in the LMS

Now that you have a rubric designed, it’s time to create it in your LMS. Blackboard has a built-in tool for creating and managing rubrics. Visit Blackboard Help to learn how to build a rubric in Bb.

All new Blackboard template courses are pre-populated with several versions of discussion and essay rubrics as well as a "Special Project" rubric. Use these as a starting point or design new rubrics based on your existing course materials.

Blackboard rubrics are easily exported and imported between Blackboard shells, so creating tiered versions for courses in a sequence is quick and easy. Also, sharing with your program or department colleagues can help keep assessment measures consistent across programs.

• Follow this link to Blackboard's information on Creating and Associating Rubrics.
• As well as this one on Grading with Rubrics

As always, if you'd like a rubric consult or mini-tutorial, don't hesitate to write [email protected] or call 503 491 7170