This guide details the different types of rubric available and lists some considerations and implications for marking with each, helpful for both markers and those creating rubrics.
Blackboard allows five different types of rubric to be created. Before creating and marking with a rubric, you should familiarise yourself with these types and decide on which is most suitable for your assessment and marking requirements.
Percentage rubrics
Considerations when making percentage-based rubrics
Percentage rubrics use percentages on two axes:
- The Criteria Percentage is listed down the left-hand column for each criterion. These represent the weighting given to each criterion as they relate to the overall mark. Criteria percentages must be 100% in total (as they represent 100% of the mark), or else a warning message will appear, reading “The criteria total percentage must equal 100%”:
To resolve this, you can either manually change your Criteria percentages so they total 100%, or else select Balance Criteria to automatically balance the criteria percentage across all criteria. Percentages must use whole numbers. - The levels within each criterion are expressed as a percentage in a cell within each row. These represent the degree of success a student has realised in each criterion. The percentages expressed across the row of levels should span the full range of 0 to 100% in most instances.
Figure 1: The green highlighted column shows the Criterion percentage. The blue highlighted row shows the percentage across one set of levels.
Considerations when marking with percentage rubrics
When grading student work with a percentage rubric, the marker selects a percentage level in each marking criterion.
The example below shows an assignment where the “Satisfactory” has been selected for the first Criterion, awarding 20 points.
The overall grade is expressed as a percentage, calculated by the levels selected by the marker in each criterion. This mark can then be overridden by the marker, if desired, but this should be avoided.
Percentage-range rubrics
Considerations when making percentage-range rubrics
Percentage-range rubrics use percentages on two axis.
- The Criteria Percentage, which is listed down the left-hand column for each criterion. These represent the weighting given to each criterion as they relate to the overall mark. Criteria percentages must be 100% in total (as they represent 100% of the mark), or else a warning message will appear, reading “The criteria total percentage must equal 100%”:
To resolve this, you can either manually change your Criteria percentages so they total 100%, or else select Balance Criteria to automatically balance the criteria percentage across all criteria. Percentages must use whole numbers. - The levels within each criterion are expressed as a percentage range in a cell within each row. These represent the degree of success a student has realised in each criterion. The percentages expressed across the row of levels should span the full range of 0 to 100% in most instances. Ranges should be exclusive of each other. For example, if one range is “75% – 100%”, the next range’s floor should be no higher than 74%.
Figure 2: The green highlighted column shows the Criterion percentage. The blue highlighted row shows the percentage range across one set of levels.
Considerations when marking with percentage-range rubrics
Percentage-range rubrics often produce fractional grades (for example, “70.35%”) and may need some manual rounding before extraction to SITS or presentation to students.
The methodology for calculating, applying and sharing these rounded marks with students should be agreed before marking begins. This methodology should be shared with students for transparency, helping to improve student confidence in equity and consistency.
When grading student work with a Percentage-range rubric, the marker selects a range of values and then specifies the exact percentage within this range.
The example below shows an assignment where the “Satisfactory” range between 50% and 75% has been selected, with 60% entered as the exact percentage awarded.
The overall grade is expressed as a percentage, calculated by the criteria and ranges selected by the marker. This mark is often fractional when using this rubric type. This mark can then be overridden by the marker, if desired. The override function could be used as one method for applying and distributing rounded marks.
Points-based rubrics
Considerations when making a points-based rubric
It is only possible to use whole numbers for this rubric type. The maximum possible points should be less than or equal to 99,999.
The total points possible for each criterion is defined by the highest points value possible across the levels of that criterion.
The total points possible for the rubric overall is defined by the sum-total of all criterion.
Considerations when marking with a points-based rubric
When grading student work with a points-based rubric, a marker selects the number of points awarded in each criterion. The overall points awarded for the assignment equates to the sum total of points awarded for each criterion. This can be overridden by the marker, if desired, but it should never exceed the total number of points possible for the assignment.
Points-range rubrics
Considerations when making a points-range rubric
It is only possible to use whole numbers for this rubric type. The maximum possible points should be less than or equal to 99,999.
The points range is set from the lower to the higher range, left to right at each level.
Ranges should be exclusive of each other. For example, if one range is “7 – 10”, the next range’s floor should be no higher than 6.
The total points possible for each criterion is defined by the highest points value possible across the levels of that criterion.
The total points possible for the rubric is defined by the points possible across all criterion.
Considerations when marking with a points-range rubric
When grading student work with a points range rubric, a marker selects the range awarded in each criterion and then enters the specific number of points awarded at that level.
In the example below, the marker has selected the “Satisfactory” range of 21-30 points, specifying the exact points awarded as 28.
The overall points awarded for the assignment equates to the sum total of points awarded for each criterion. This can be overridden by the marker, if desired, but it should never exceed the total number of points possible for the assignment.
No points rubrics
Considerations when making a no points rubric
A no points rubric has no points associated with either the criterion or levels. They may also be referred to as “Mark Sheets” or “Feedback Tables”.
Considerations when marking with a no points rubric
When used in grading, markers select a level within each of the criterion, but this is purely indicative and doesn’t affect the overall grade directly. A singular overall mark is entered for the assignment.