Measurable Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
Welcome & Build Target
Start with this question:
What should Canvas do with this rubric?
- Create or locate the rubric
- Configure options and points
- Connect it to an activity
- Preview from the student point of view
- Verify the SpeedGrader workflow
What This Lab Covers
We are working inside the Canvas tool.
- Construct — criteria, ratings, descriptions
- Configure — points, ranges, scales, comments, settings
- Connect — assignments and graded discussions
- Grade — SpeedGrader, scores, comments, grade field
- Verify — student view and self-evaluation when available
Not today
- Writing rubric content
- Revising criteria
- Alignment or objectives
- Assessment theory
- Grading philosophy
Build the tool workflow, not the rubric content. If a question comes up about whether a criterion is good, park it for a separate conversation.
Canvas Rubric Workflow & Builder Anatomy
- Create or find
- Add criteria and ratings
- Choose points, range, or scale
- Select settings
- Connect to activity
- Preview student interaction
- Grade and verify
A rubric is not finished when the content is entered. Settings and connections determine what Canvas does next. Feature labels and available controls may differ by Canvas rubric interface, account setting, or feature option.
Rubric Builder anatomy
| Canvas element | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Rubric title | Identifies the rubric when searching, reusing, or attaching it. |
| Criterion | Creates one row of assessment information. |
| Criterion description | Adds optional detail that appears with the criterion. |
| Ratings | Provides selectable choices for a criterion. |
| Rating descriptions | Adds detail to a rating choice. |
| Points or ranges | Controls the score associated with a rating or criterion. |
| Criterion comments | Provides feedback tied to one criterion during grading. |
| Total rubric points | Shows the sum created by the point configuration. |
| Settings | Controls grading, score display, comments, and student interaction. |
Constructing Criteria & Ratings
Criteria
- add
- edit
- duplicate when available
- delete
- reorder when available
Ratings
- add
- edit
- remove
- reorder when available
- control selectable levels
Descriptions
- criterion details
- rating details
- readable fields
- student-facing text
Comments
- criterion-level feedback
- entered during grading
- visible depending on settings
Use simple sample text today. Do not stop to rewrite your rubric.
Points, Ranges, or Scale
Set point values
Set point values for each rating.
Example: Complete 5, Developing 3, Not Demonstrated 0.
Common when a rubric should support grading.
Use a permitted range
Use a permitted range inside a rating when available.
Example: Complete 4–5, Developing 2–3, Not Demonstrated 0–1.
Test the result in SpeedGrader.
Scale-based configuration
Use scale-based configuration when supported.
Verify what the instructor selects and what Canvas records and displays to students.
Do not assume points, ranges, and scales behave identically. Test the selected configuration in SpeedGrader and Student View.
Rubric Settings Decision Guide
Answer the questions to reveal a starting configuration. Treat the result as a test plan, not a universal rule.
Points checker
Compare assignment points with the rubric total before grading.
Canvas configuration guide, not a grading recommendation. Confirm exact labels and behavior in your current Canvas environment. Always test: rubric result → assignment grade → student view.
Open the Canvas Rubric Settings Decision Guide (PDF)Create New or Find Existing
Create a new rubric
- Open the rubric tool
- Enter a title
- Add criteria and ratings
- Configure points, ranges, or scale
- Select settings
- Save
Find or reuse a rubric
- Open the rubric connection option
- Search or browse available rubrics
- Confirm correct rubric was selected
- Review settings
- Check whether editing may affect other uses
Verify before editing a rubric already connected elsewhere. Finding and reusing a rubric can save time, but editing behavior must be verified locally.
Connect to an Assignment & Graded Discussion
Assignment
Graded discussion
A saved rubric is not necessarily attached to an activity — verify the connection before grading. A rubric can be connected to a discussion only after it is configured as graded.
SpeedGrader Workflow & Score vs. Grade
Final check: Rubric saved? Assignment grade verified? Student feedback visible? Do not assume the rubric total and assignment grade are synchronized without testing.
Rubric score versus assignment grade
Matching points
- Assignment: 20
- Rubric: 20
- Use for grading selected
- Verify grade field
Different totals
- Assignment: 100
- Rubric: 20
- Verify Canvas result
Scale or no points
- Level or feedback recorded
- Grade may require separate action
Student View & Self-Evaluation
Before submission
- Open attached rubric
- Review criteria and ratings
- Use as a pre-submission check
- Complete self-assessment when enabled
Self-evaluation
- Enable only when supported
- Student completes rubric self-assessment
- Instructor reviews in SpeedGrader
- Check grade impact and visibility
After grading
- Ratings may appear
- Criterion comments
- Score or scale result
- Assignment grade
- Comparison when available
Do not confuse viewing a rubric with completing a native Canvas self-assessment. Demonstrate only functionality confirmed locally.
Independent Build Task
Apply the complete Canvas workflow to one course activity. Do not spend the lab rewriting rubric content.
8 minutes · checks at 4 min and 1 min
Preview, Verify & Commit
Before I use this rubric with students, I will test:
Thank you. The rubric content may already exist. What makes it work in Canvas is how faculty construct, configure, connect, and test it.