SOLE Gradebook Rubrics
- Cassandra Rinker
Rubrics are multidimensional scoring tools designed to ensure consistent and objective grading. They break down scoring criteria so that multiple instructors assessing the same assignment can provide uniform scores. This objectivity in grading makes rubrics ideal for evaluating subjective work like essays or presentations, where clear scoring criteria guide teachers toward consistent scores.
For example, a Research Presentation rubric might grade students on three criteria: Content, Display, and Presentation. Each criterion could have several defined competency levels (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Needs Improvement), with each level assigned a weighted score that contributes to the overall grade. This structure enables teachers to evaluate each criterion with clear, predefined benchmarks.
Rubrics also benefit students by clarifying what is expected for each assignment and outlining specific targets for success. For teachers, rubrics serve as a straightforward, efficient grading guide, enhancing transparency in evaluation and helping to standardize assessments across different graders.
The Rubric Scales feature in SOLE’s Gradebook makes creating and applying rubrics possible, but it must be activated in the Gradebook tool, which is only accessible if the Gradebook is enabled through the Control Panel. This Gradebook-specific setting allows rubrics to be attached to Assignments, Chats, Discussions, and Journals, thus embedding objective assessment criteria directly into the grading process.
Create a Rubric
To create and manage rubrics, begin by accessing the Gradebook from the Assessment section and clicking on Settings. Then, click the green edit icon next to Rubric Scales.
Define the Rubric Name: This is a required field. Naming is essential for easy identification when assigning rubrics to Assignments, Chats, Discussions, or Journals.
Setting Up Criterion and Ratings:
Criterion: Define the main components of the assignment, such as Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Spelling & Grammar, or Sources & Citations. These represent the primary assessment categories.
Rating Name: Label each rating to represent levels of achievement, like Excellent, Good, Fair, etc. Each rating should have a unique name.
Rating Description: Describe the expectations for each rating to clarify what is necessary to achieve the corresponding points.
Adding Criteria and Ratings:
Start with one criterion, but you can add more by clicking Add Criterion.
Duplicate Row duplicates a criterion row and is useful when multiple criteria share the same rating structure.
Enter a unique Criterion Name and assign a Percentage to each criterion. This determines its weight in the total assignment grade.
A criterion has two default ratings, but you can add more with Add Rating or Add Rating to Each Row.
If you want specific weighting, click Enable Criteria Weighting. A text box appears next to each criterion for setting its weight; all weights must total 100%.
Deleting Criteria and Ratings: Remove a criterion or rating by clicking the red trashcan icon in its respective box.
Details Section: Add a Rubric Heading or Footer by expanding the Details section at the bottom.
Saving and Canceling:
Click Save to keep changes.
Click Cancel to exit without saving.
Managing Rubrics
After creating a rubric, you can return to Gradebook Settings to view details, copy, edit, or delete the rubric:
View Details: Opens the rubric for viewing and lets you download it as a PDF.
Copy Rubric: Creates an identical copy.
Edit Rubric: Allows modifications, but not if grading has started on an assignment using this rubric.
Delete Rubric: Permanently deletes the rubric, but only if it’s not in use.
Importing Rubrics
Click the yellow circle icon next to Rubric Scales to import a rubric from another course. Rubrics created by other administrators must be copied first before importing.
Student Visibility and Access
Students can view rubrics within assignments by clicking Review Rubric for Assignment and download a PDF version.
Once grades are released, rubrics become visible in the Gradebook.
If you prefer not to display the rubric, uncheck the Rubric’s Visibility box when adding the rubric to an assignment.
Grading with Rubrics
Once a rubric is created, it becomes available as a grading method in Assignments, Chat, Discussions, and Journal tools. You can select the appropriate rubric from a dropdown menu by title and decide if it should be visible to students by unchecking “Is Rubric Visible?”
Rubrics require the Detailed Grader to apply point values to each criterion individually, while Quick Grade provides only a total grade entry option and is unavailable for rubric-based assignments.
To access the Detailed Grader:
From Gradebook: Click the gray button to the right of the assignment title and choose Detailed Grader.
From Tools: Go to the specific tool (Assignment, Discussion, Chat, or Journal), select the assignment, and click Grade Submissions.
Grading with Detailed Grader
Navigating Submissions: In the Detailed Grader, scroll through user submissions using the left and right arrows at the top right. Users are color-coded by submission status: dark gray for submissions, light gray for no submissions, and green for graded entries.
Rubric Display: Below the student’s name, the rubric name appears with listed criteria, rating descriptions, and points for each rating. The “View detailed” button expands rating descriptions, and individual criterion descriptions are accessible by clicking the blue plus sign icon.
Assigning Points: Select the appropriate points for each criterion; selected points turn green, and the rubric will automatically calculate the total points awarded. Rubrics use a 100-point scale, meaning each criterion’s score is weighted by its designated percentage toward the final grade.
Example: For a criterion worth 20% of the overall grade, if a student scores 7/10 (0.7), this contributes 14 points (20% × 0.7) to the final grade.
Feedback Options:
File Review: Click the paper icon to view, annotate, or download student-uploaded files. Comments, highlights, and edits are visible to both instructor and student.
Comments: Use the thought bubble icon to leave feedback visible to students when grades are released.
Private Notes: Use the pencil icon to add instructor-only notes for personal reference.
Additional Detailed Grader Tools
Grade Statistics: Click the statistic icon to view grading stats: average score, highest and lowest grades, median, and standard deviation.
Report Metrics: The yellow, green, and red circles display average, highest, and lowest grades, respectively. View total student submissions, ungraded entries, and score distribution.
Releasing Grades: Once grading is complete, click the green “Release Grades” button. You can also release grades directly from the Gradebook.
Returning to Assignment or Gradebook: After grading, use “Back to assignment” to return to the assignment view or “Back to Gradebook” to return to Gradebook settings.
Adjusting Gradebook Settings
In Detailed Grader, access Gradebook settings by clicking the small settings icon. Adjustments here impact the assignment’s overall grade display format, rubric visibility, and score calculations.