Using Prebuilt Rubrics in Canvas

Owned by Rob Caldwell, created
Last updated: Aug 09, 2021
3 min read

This article explains how to use a pre-made rubric with an assignment in Canvas.

Instructions

  1. Choose the add rubric button at the bottom of the assignment (this button is not visible whenever you are editing the assignment).

     

  2. On the next screen, choose to Find a Rubric

     

  3. To find an existing rubric:
    a: The list on the left shows courses and accounts you have access to in Canvas. Scroll through the list and select NC School of Science and Math
    b: Choose a rubric in the second column
    c: Choose to Use This Rubric

     

  4. Once the rubric has been added to the assignment in your course, click the edit icon to edit the rubric.

     

  5. You will likely see a warning screen telling you that you cannot edit the rubric since others are using it. Ignore the warning and click Ok. This creates a copy of the rubric that you can edit.

     

  6. Edit the rubric so it suits your needs. Feel free to add and remove criteria, change wording, and point values. When complete:
    a: Tick the box that says Use this rubric for assignment grading.
    b: Press the Update Rubric button.

     

Choosing “I’ll write free-form comments when assessing students,” will remove all rating columns from the rubric and leave an area for a comment to be written for each criteria. This is useful for emphasizing feedback as opposed to grades, and has some similarities to “one point rubrics”.

Even if you plan to use the rubric as-is, you must still choose to edit the rubric so that you can choose the option to “use the rubric for assignment grading.”

 

IMPORTANT:

If you use point values in the rubric and their total does not match the total point value of the assignment, you will see a warning screen asking you if you wish to change the assignment point value. We recommend always changing the assignment point value so that the assignment is worth the same number if points as the rubric.