Creating an Interactive Rubric in Blackboard

This lesson will demonstrate how to create an interactive rubric in Blackboard.

Accessing Course Rubrics

Image of the Control Panel with the following annotations: 1.Click on Course Tools.2.Select Rubrics.

Log into Blackboard and go to the Control Panel.  

  1. Click on Course Tools.
  2. Select Rubrics

Creating a Rubric

Image of the Rubrics screen with the Create Rubric button highlighted by a red circle.

You will now see a screen labeled Rubrics. At the top of the screen, click on the Create Rubric button.

Setting up the Rubric Information

Image of the Rubric Information screen with the following annotations: You will now see a screen labeled Create Rubric.  Section 1: Rubric Information allows you to enter a name and description for your rubric.1.Name: In the space marked Name, enter a name for the rubric.2.Description: In the space marked Description, provide a description for the rubric

You will now see a screen labeled Create Rubric.  The section labeled Rubric Information allows you to enter a name and description for your rubric.

  1. Name: In the space marked Name, enter a name for the rubric.
  2. Description: In the space marked Description, provide a description for the rubric

Building the Rubric

Image of the section labeled rubric details with the following annotations: 1.To add additional criteria or levels of achievement, click on the Add Row or Add Column button2.Rubric Type: To change the rubric type, choose the desired rubric type (e.g. percentage, percentage range, points, or point range) from the dropdown menu.3.To rename or delete an existing criterion, click the button to the left of the criterion name and choose the appropriate option.  To change the weight of a criterion, enter the desired weighting for the criterion in the space provided.4.To rename or delete an existing level of achievement, click the button to the left of the level name and choose the appropriate option.  To change the weight of a level, enter the desired weighting for the criterion in the space provided.5.In each rubric cell, enter the point value for the criterion and level of achievement in question, and provide a description of the requirements for achieving the criterion in question in the space provided. Repeat this process for each rubric cell.6.If you are using a percentage rubric, click the Balance Weights button to automatically even out each criterion.

The section labeled Rubric Detail allows you to build your rubric. The default rubric in Blackboard will have three criteria (rows) and three levels of achievement (columns).  

  1. To add additional criteria or levels of achievement, click on the Add Row or Add Column button
  2. Rubric Type: To change the rubric type, choose the desired rubric type (e.g. percentage, percentage range, points, or point range) from the dropdown menu.
  3. To rename or delete an existing criterion, click the button to the left of the criterion name and choose the appropriate option.  To change the weight of a criterion, enter the desired weighting for the criterion in the space provided.
  4. To rename or delete an existing level of achievement, click the button to the left of the level name and choose the appropriate option.  
  5. In each rubric cell, enter the point value for the criterion and level of achievement in question, and provide a description of the requirements for achieving the criterion in question in the space provided. Repeat this process for each rubric cell.
  6. If you are using a percentage rubric, click the Balance Weights button to automatically even out each criterion.
  7. When finished, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.

Best Practices

Benefits for Faculty

Rubrics can be seen as a communication tool between student and teacher as it aligns expectations and outlines learning objectives for the assignment between student and teacher. One main benefit of aligning and clearly stating expectations is that it creates transparency in grading; grades will seem less arbitrary if students can see what grades are based upon especially if rubrics are being used in peer grading.

Benefits for Students

The main purpose of a rubric is it’s ability to assess student’s performance or work. Rubrics define clear learning objectives to help teachers to quickly and effectively monitor students progress (QM 3.3). This allows for monitoring of students that are falling behind, but it is also a great way to adjust course materials and assignments. Rubrics can point to which questions or learning objectives that the whole class is struggling with or what may even be too easy.

If you are using rubrics for your assessments, you might want to share the following link with your student that gives them step-by-step navigation on how to access and view the rubrics feedback that you have provided. http://utlv.screenstepslive.com/s/student/m/23191/l/256014-accessing-rubric-feedback

When and How

Adding a discussion board rubric will help students create quality posts and make grading easy for the instructor. Also  add rubrics for assignments and projects.