This lesson will demonstrate how to add an interactive rubric to a grade column, so the rubric can be used for grading.
Accessing the Grade Center

Log into you Blackboard course and go to the Control Panel:
- Select Grade Center
- Click on Full Grade Center.
Locating the Grade Column
You will now be taken to the Full Grade Center. Locate the column you want to a rubric to, and click on the chevron that appears in the column header. Select Edit Column Information from the list.
Adding a Rubric
You will now be taken to the Edit Column Information screen.
- Associated Rubrics: Under Column Information, scroll down until you see a button labeled Add Rubric. Hover over this button and a menu will appear.
- Select Rubric: Select this option to use an existing rubric for grading.
- Create New Rubric: Select this option to create a rubric from scratch.
- Create from Existing: Select this object to use an existing rubric as a template for creating a new rubric.
The steps below will detail each option:
Selecting an Existing Rubric
After choosing the Select Rubric option, a screen like the one above will appear.
- Click on the Preview Rubric button to view a preview of the rubric
- Locate the rubric you wish to use and check the box to the left of the name
- When finished, click the Submit button.
The rubric will now be added to the grade column
Creating a New Rubric, Part 1
After you select Create a New 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.
- Name: In the space marked Name, enter a name for the rubric.
- Description: In the space marked Description, provide a description for the rubric
Creating a New Rubric, Part 2
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).
- To add additional criteria or levels of achievement, click on the Add Row or Add Column button
- 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.
- 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.
- To rename or delete an existing level of achievement, click the button to the left of the level name and choose the appropriate option.
- 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.
- If you are using a percentage rubric, click the Balance Weights button to automatically even out each criterion.
- When finished, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
Creating a New Rubric from an Existing Rubric, Part 1
After choosing the Create From Existing option, a screen like the one above will appear.
- Click on the Preview Rubric button to view a preview of the rubric
- Locate the rubric you wish to use and check the box to the left of the name
- When finished, click the Submit button.
Creating a New Rubric from an Existing Rubric, Part 2
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.
- Name: In the space marked Name, enter a name for the rubric.
- Description: In the space marked Description, provide a description for the rubric
Creating a New Rubric from an Existing Rubric, Part 3
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).
- To add additional criteria or levels of achievement, click on the Add Row or Add Column button
- 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.
- 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.
- To rename or delete an existing level of achievement, click the button to the left of the level name and choose the appropriate option.
- 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.
- If you are using a percentage rubric, click the Balance Weights button to automatically even out each criterion.
- When finished, click the Submit button at the bottom of the screen.
Setting Up the Rubric Options

The selected Rubric will now be added under Associated Rubrics. You can now modify the following rubric options:
- Remove Rubric: Click the red X button to remove the rubric association.
- Preview Rubric: Click the Preview button to preview the rubric.
- Edit Rubric: Click the Edit button (the one with the pencil icon) to make changes to the associated rubric.
- Name: The name of the rubric appears here.
- Type: Hover over the icon here to change the type of rubric from Used For Grading to Used for Secondary Assessment
- Show Rubric to Students: Hover over this icon to change how the rubric is shown to students using the following options: No, Yes (without rubric scores), Yes (with rubric scores), and After Grading.
Finishing Up
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After entering the rubric information, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page to add the rubric to the Grade Column.