Fixed points
Each rating carries a defined point value.
Verify: rubric total, assignment points, and SpeedGrader grade field.
Session target
Construct, configure, connect, grade with, and verify one complete Canvas rubric workflow.
Start with one question: What should Canvas do with this rubric?
Learning objectives
By the end of this build lab, participants will be able to:
- Construct a Canvas rubric with at least two criteria and two ratings per criterion.
- Configure points, ranges, scales, comments, and available rubric settings.
- Attach a rubric to an assignment and locate the workflow for a graded discussion.
- Complete and revise a rubric assessment in SpeedGrader.
- Preview student visibility and self-assessment when enabled.
- Test and document one complete rubric workflow.
The complete workflow
Follow the rubric from creation to student-facing feedback
Canvas Tip: A rubric is not finished when the content is entered. Settings and connections determine what Canvas does next.
Rubric Builder anatomy
Know what each Canvas control does
Select a control above. Its purpose will appear here.
Canvas Tip: Use simple sample text during the workshop. Do not stop to rewrite rubric content.
Configuration choices
Choose the behavior you want, then verify it
Point ranges
A rating covers a span of scores when the option is available.
Verify: what Canvas selects and what the instructor can edit.
Rating scale
The rubric records a level on a configured scale when supported.
Verify: instructor selection, recorded result, and student display.
No points
The rubric supplies descriptive feedback while the grade is entered separately.
Verify: where the official assignment grade is entered.
- Use rubric for assignment grading
- Choose when rubric selections should calculate or support the assignment grade. Check the rubric total, assignment value, and grade field.
- Remove points
- Choose for descriptive feedback without a rubric total. Check where the assignment grade will be entered.
- Hide score total
- Choose when criterion-level feedback should appear without emphasizing a total. Confirm whether the grade remains visible elsewhere.
- Free-form comments
- Choose when graders need flexible criterion-specific feedback. Check the efficiency of the grading workflow.
- Student self-assessment
- Use when enabled in Enhanced Rubrics. Verify student access, instructor review, visibility, and grade impact.
Canvas Tip: Match rubric points to assignment points when you expect rubric selections to support the grade, then test one sample submission.
Connect the rubric
A saved rubric is not necessarily attached to an activity
Canvas Tip: Save the activity, confirm the correct rubric is attached, and preview before publishing.
SpeedGrader workflow
Complete the rubric assessment and verify the grade
Workflow progress0%
Canvas Tip: Do not assume the rubric total and assignment grade are synchronized. Verify the grade field before moving to the next student.
Student view and self-assessment
Viewing, grading, and self-assessing are separate workflows
Before submission
Students locate the attached rubric and use criteria and ratings as a pre-submission check.
Self-assessment
When enabled in Enhanced Rubrics, students complete a rubric self-assessment that instructors can review.
After grading
Students review ratings, criterion comments, rubric results, and the official assignment grade.
Verify locally: where students open self-assessment, what instructors see, and whether it affects the official grade.
Independent build
Build one complete Canvas rubric workflow
Do not spend the lab rewriting rubric content.
Build progress0%
Resource library
Open, print, or save workshop and Canvas resources
Workshop materials
Official Canvas resources
FTCC resources
Local job aids and Guidde videos
This section is ready for FTCC-specific resources as they are added.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common rubric questions
Can I reuse a rubric?
Yes. Find or browse available rubrics, confirm you selected the correct one, and review its settings before attaching it.
What happens if I edit a reused rubric?
Editing behavior can vary by interface and reuse context. Verify whether you are changing a shared rubric or creating an editable copy before making changes.
Why did the rubric score not transfer to the assignment grade?
Check whether the rubric is configured for assignment grading, whether the rubric and assignment totals match, and whether the grade field updated after saving.
Why do I not see student self-assessment?
Confirm the required Enhanced Rubrics and student assignment features are enabled in the local Canvas environment and that the option is available on the activity.
Can I use a rubric with a discussion?
Yes. The discussion must first be configured as a graded discussion. Then locate and attach the rubric.
What is the difference between points, ranges, scales, and no points?
They record different kinds of results. Test the selected configuration in SpeedGrader and Student View rather than assuming they behave identically.
Can students see the rubric before submitting?
Students can view an attached rubric from the activity. Verify its placement and visibility in Student View.
Why is the rubric total different from the assignment grade?
The rubric result and assignment grade are related but not interchangeable in every configuration. Compare totals, settings, and the SpeedGrader grade field.
Troubleshooting
Find the first thing to check
| Problem | Check first |
|---|---|
| Rubric will not attach | Save the activity, confirm you are in an editable graded activity, then locate the rubric option again. |
| Rubric is missing in SpeedGrader | Confirm the correct rubric is attached to the correct activity. |
| Rubric does not calculate the grade | Verify the assignment-grading setting, rubric total, assignment points, and saved assessment. |
| Student cannot see the rubric | Check the activity connection, visibility, availability dates, and Student View. |
| Self-assessment option is missing | Verify local Enhanced Rubrics and student assignment feature availability. |
| Grade did not update | Review the rubric result, selected settings, and the assignment grade field in SpeedGrader. |
| Points or ranges behave unexpectedly | Test one sample submission and confirm what Canvas selects, records, and displays. |
| Editing an existing rubric is unclear | Verify whether the rubric is reused elsewhere before editing. |