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Blackboard Ultra: Faculty Resource: Create Rubrics

 

Blackboard Ultra: Faculty Resource

Create Rubrics

 

About Rubrics

You can create multiple rubrics in your course.  Rubrics consist of rows and columns.  The rows correspond to the criteria.  The columns correspond to the level of achievement that describes each criterion.  You can create two types of rubrics: percentage and percentage range.

New rubrics have four rows and four columns.  You can add up to ten columns and rows and delete all but one row and one column.  You can associate rubrics with assignments, tests, and discussions.

At this time, you can only associate rubrics with assessments with no questions.

Image of Rubric


Rubric Types

You can create four types of rubrics in an Ultra course:

  • Percentage-based
  • Percentage-range 
  • Points-based
  • Points-range

Percentage-based Rubric

For percentage-based rubrics, the total criteria percentage must equal 100%.  You may only use whole numbers.   For the levels of achievement, one column must have a value of 100%.  You may only use whole numbers.

Image of percentage based rubric

Percentage-range Rubrics

For percentage-range rubrics, each level of achievement has a range of values.  When you grade, you select the appropriate percentage level for a particular level of achievement.  The system calculates the points earned by multiplying the weight x achievement percentage x item points.  

Image of percentage range rubric

Points-based Rubrics

For points-based rubrics, the maximum possible points should be less than or equal to 99,999.  You may only use whole numbers.  You may add rows set to 0 if your total points are less than or equal to 99,999.

Image of points based rubric

Points-range rubrics

For points-range rubrics, the maximum possible points should be less than or equal to 99,999.  You may only use whole numbers.  You may add rows set to 0 if your total points are less than or equal to 99,999. 

The point range for each criterion must go from a lower range to a higher range. 

Image of Points range rubric


Create Rubrics

You can create rubrics from an assignment, test, discussion, or grade book.  At this time, you can only associate rubrics with assessments with no questions.  You can associate an existing rubric unless you've already graded the item.

From an assignment, test, or discussion

In the Assignment Settings, click the gear icon to open the Settings panel.

In the Additional Tools section, select Use grading rubric > Add grading rubric.

Click Create to build your own rubric, or click Generate to use the AI Design Assistant.

Rename the rubric, then select a Rubric Type: Percentage, Percentage Range, Points, or Points Range.

Picture of creating a rubric from the assignment content

By default, four criteria rows and four achievement level columns appear.  You can add, delete, and rename the rows and columns.  Point to a cell to access the edit and delete icons.  Select the plus sign wherever you want to add a row or column and type a title.  If you do not want the new row or column, you can delete it.

When you add an achievement level, a percentage is automatically added.  For example, if you add an achievement level between two levels listed at 100% and 75%, your new level is assigned 88%.  You can adjust the percentages as needed.  Click anywhere to save your changes.

You can add an optional description for new and existing achievement levels.  Achievement titles have a 40-character limit.  Criteria and description cells have a 1,000-character limit.  You cannot add HTML code to titles and cells.  You can paste text from another document, but the formatting does not carry over.

When you press the Enter key, a new paragraph is not started in a cell.  The Enter key confirms you are finished.  Your work is saved, and you leave edit mode.

Image of creating a rubric

You can align goals with rows in the rubric if you want to measure achievement against goals set by your institution.  Select Align with goals to get started.  Students cannot see the goals you align with the criteria in a rubric.


Associate Rubrics to Assessments

You can associate an existing rubric to an item unless you have already graded the assessment. You may associate only one rubric to each assessment.  

On the assignment, discussion, or journal page, select the Settings icon to open the Settings panel. In the Additional Tools section, select Add grading rubric. To edit of view a rubric, select View

Image of view or add existing rubric to assessment

The grade pill displays a rubric icon when you associate a rubric and view a student's assignment or test submission.

Image of grade pill with rubric

 

Remove Associations

You can remove a rubric from your graded assessment, and the grades will remain.  The grades are no longer associated with the rubric but now appear as grades you added manually.

Return to the Settings panel and point to the associated rubric's title to access the Remove icon.

Picture of option to remove a rubric associated with an assessment


Student View of Rubrics

Students can view a rubric before they open an assignment, test, and discussion and after they start the attempt.  Students select This item is graded with a rubric to view the rubric. Students can view the rubric alongside the instructions.  They can expand each rubric criterion to view the achievement levels and organize their efforts to meet the requirements of the graded work.

Image of students view of rubric

 


Manage Rubrics

Copy Rubrics

After you use a rubric for grading, you can't edit it, but you can make a copy that you can edit and rename.

Go to your gradebook. Select the Settings icon to bring up the Gradebook Settings panel. Scroll down to the Course Rubrics section.

Image of Copy Course Rubric
 

Delete Rubric

You can permanently delete a rubric from your course even if you used it in grading, and the grades will remain.  The grades are no longer associated with the rubric but now appear as grades you added manually.

To permanently delete a rubric, open the Gradebook Settings panel in the grade book.

Copy rubrics between courses

You can copy rubrics between your courses. On the Course Content page, select the plus sign to open the menu and select Copy Content. Or, open the More options menu above the content list. Select Copy Items. The Copy Items panel opens.

From the Copy Items panel, you can browse all the courses that you teach. Select the Rubrics folder for the course you want to copy rubrics from and select the rubrics you’d like to copy. When you’re done, select Start copy.

Image of copy rubric from another course

Export and archive courses with rubrics

Rubrics are saved in export and archive packages.

When you convert an Original course to Ultra, percentage range and percentage rubrics are converted without descriptions.  All other rubric types are converted to percentage rubrics, such as points and point ranges. All Original rubric settings are now set to the Ultra rubric defaults, such as display to students.


 

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