Grading a Blackboard Assignment Using a Rubric

This lesson will demonstrate how to grade an assignment within Blackboard using an Interactive Rubric

Accessing the Grade Center

Image of the control panel open at Grade Center with the following annotations:  1.Select Grade Center 2.Click on Full Grade Center.

Log into you Blackboard course and go to the Control Panel:

  1. Select Grade Center
  2. Click on Full Grade Center.

Accessing a Student's Assignment Attempt

Image of the grade center with an arrow pointing to the chevron button in the selected student's cell for the selected assignment with the following instructions: Locate the cell that corresponds with the assignment and student you wish to grade and click the chevron in the student's cell.  A menu is open with the Attempt option outined in a red circle with instructions to select the attempt you wish to grade.

Within the grade center, locate the student and the column for the assignment.  Hover in the cell that contains the student's attempt, and click on the chevron that appears.  Select the attempt you wish to view from the menu that pops up. A yellow exclamation point indicates that the student's attempt needs grading

Viewing the Student's Attempt

Image of the Grade User Attempt screen with the following annotations: 1.User: The student's name will appear here.2.In the left portion of the screen, you can view the currently selected submission item.3.Submission: The bottom right portion of the screen allows you to view additional submitted materials.4.Click the downward facing arrow to expand the grading panel.

You will now see the following screen that shows the student's attempt.

  1. User: The student's name will appear here.
  2. In the left portion of the screen, you can view the currently selected submission item.
  3. Submission: The bottom right portion of the screen allows you to view additional submitted materials.
  4. Click the downward facing arrow to expand the grading panel.

Grading by Rubric

Image of the Grading Panel with the following annotations: 1.Under Grade by Rubric, click on the name of the rubric to grade the rubric inline (the rubric will appear next to the assignment submission)2.Click on this button to grade using the rubric in its own window

After expanding the grading panel, you will see a screen similar to the one above.  Blackboard provides for two methods for grading by rubric:

  1. Under Grade by Rubric, click on the name of the rubric to grade the rubric inline (the rubric will appear next to the assignment submission)
  2. Rubric Detail: Click on this button to grade using the rubric in its own window

The steps below will detail both methods of grading by rubric.

Inline Rubric Grading

Image of the inline grading panel with the following annotations: 1.Show Descriptions: Check this box to show descriptions of the rubric grading criteria.2.Show Feedback: Check this box to show the textboxes for entering feedback for each criterion.3.Select the radio button for each rubric criterion to assign a score4.Feedback: Enter feedback for each criterion in the space provided5.Raw Total: The student's raw score will automatically be updated6.Change the number of points out of NN to: This option allows users to update the student's raw score7.Feedback: This space allows instructors to send general feedback regarding the rubric to the student.8.Text Editor: Click this button to enter rubric comments using the text editor in Blackboard.9.Save Rubric:  Click this button to save the rubric grades.

The rubric will now appear in the grading panel:

  1. Show Descriptions: Check this box to show descriptions of the rubric grading criteria.
  2. Show Feedback: Check this box to show the textboxes for entering feedback for each criterion.
  3. Select the radio button for each rubric criterion to assign a score
  4. Feedback: Enter feedback for each criterion in the space provided
  5. Raw Total: The student's raw score will automatically be updated
  6. Change the number of points out of NN to: This option allows users to update the student's raw score
  7. Feedback: This space allows instructors to send general feedback regarding the rubric to the student.
  8. Save Rubric: Click this button to save the rubric grades.

Grading Using the Rubric Grid

Image of the Rubric Detail screen with the following annotations: 1.Grid View|List View: Click on the appropriate option to toggle the rubric view between grid and list views.2.Rubric Grid: The criteria will appear as rows, and the levels of achievement will appear as columns.  For each row, select the radio button in the cell that corresponds to the level of achievement demonstrated by the student.  When you select a cell, a textbox for comments will appear, and instructors can type in comments for the criterion in question. Repeat this process for each row.3.Raw Score: The student's raw score based on the selected rubric criteria appear here.4.Change the number of points out of NN to: This item allows for the student's raw score to be changed.5.Feedback: Overall feedback regarding the rubric can be updated here.  6.When finished with the rubric grading, click the Save button.

After you click on the Rubric Detail button, you will now see a Rubric Detail screen similar to the one in the image above.  

  1. Grid View|List View: Click on the appropriate option to toggle the rubric view between grid and list views.
  2. Rubric Grid: The criteria will appear as rows, and the levels of achievement will appear as columns.  For each row, select the radio button in the cell that corresponds to the level of achievement demonstrated by the student.  When you select a cell, a textbox for comments will appear, and instructors can type in comments for the criterion in question. Repeat this process for each row.
  3. Raw Score: The student's raw score based on the selected rubric criteria appear here.
  4. Change the number of points out of NN to: This item allows for the student's raw score to be changed.
  5. Feedback: Overall feedback regarding the rubric can be updated here.  
  6. When finished with the rubric grading, click the Save button.

Finishing Up

Image of the attempt grade with the following annotations 1.Attempt: The grade from the rubric grading for the current attempt.2.Grade: This option allows instructors to override the grade that is reported for the student in the grade column.3.When finished with grading, click the Submit button to save the student's grading activity:  Note: It is important to press the Submit button prior to exiting back to the grade center, otherwise the student's rubric grades will not be saved.

You will now see the raw score added to the student's attempt grade after entering the rubric grades.  

  1. Attempt: The grade from the rubric grading for the current attempt.
  2. Grade: This option allows instructors to override the grade that is reported for the student in the grade column.
  3. When finished with grading, click the Submit button to save the student's grading activity:  Note: It is important to press the Submit button prior to exiting back to the grade center, otherwise the student's rubric grades will not be saved.