To create a rubric in your Ultra course:

1. Navigate to the Gradebook and open the gradebook settings by clicking the settings icon in the upper right. The settings menu will appear on the right hand side of your screen.

2. Scroll down to the "Course Rubrics" section.

3. Click on the black "Create" button. (For more information on the "Generate" button,   see our Answers page on Blackboard's AI Design Assistant.)

Once the "Create" button is selected, a new page will open providing a rubric template.

A default title will be given to the rubric based on the date created. Click the title to change it.

There are several options for "Rubric Type," including Percentage, Percentage Range, Points, and Points Range. Click the drop down menu and select the one that best suits your needs.

Editing the Rubric Template

The default template that is created by the Blackboard system contains four columns (levels of performance)  and four rows (criteria). The template will also provide default credit values (in the form of percentages or points, based on the Rubric Type) in each cell of the rubric. All components can be edited in the same way:

1. Hover your mouse over the section of the rubric you wish to edit.

2. Click on the edit icon that appears in the right hand corner of the cell.

When you hover over any of the criteria/performance headings, you will notice that a delete icon appears next to the edit icon. Click this if you wish to delete a row or column provided by the template.

Conversely, if you wish to add a row or column to the rubric, hover your mouse in between two rows/columns until you see a purple + icon appear. Click the + icon to add another row/column in that place.

Once you have completed all edits of the rubric, click the "Save" button located at the bottom right hand corner of the page.

In order to connect a rubric to a grade item:

1. Create or open the existing content item you wish to add a rubric to

2. Open the Assignment Settings using the gear icon

3. Scroll down to the "Additional Tools" section

4. Click the link "Add grading rubric."

5. This will show you the option to "Create" a grading rubric or choose from rubrics previously created and saved in your course.

6. To select an existing grading rubric, click the "Add" link to the right of the desired rubric.

7. Once you "Add" the rubric, the screen will return to the Assignment Settings where you need to click the black "Save" button in order to complete the rubric association.

When grading with the rubric, you will first need to open the student's assignment in the submission view page of the Gradebook. If you need help on accessing student submissions, see our Answers page on Grading Student Submissions.

Once viewing the student submission:

Click the expand button to open the side panel where you can provide feedback to the student.

1. Locate the grading criteria, displayed below the text field for Overall Feedback.

2. Expand a criterion by clicking the gray down arrow located to the right of the criterion title.

3. Select the appropriate level of performance. 

4. Continue in this manner for each criterion category.