Canvas: Editing / Managing Rubrics

Rubrics clarify expectations and provide a structured, transparent way to assess student work while delivering consistent, meaningful feedback. In Canvas, rubrics are attached after an assignment, discussion, or quiz has been created. While the navigation path differs slightly depending on the activity type, the rubric editing interface functions the same once you access it.

As a reminder, rubric content should align with the expectations outlined in the assignment, discussion, or quiz instructions.

Edit a Rubric

You have the option to Find a Rubric, which allows you to reuse rubrics you’ve previously created or have access to in other courses.

After opening the rubric editor, you can customize the following elements:

• Enter a name for the rubric in the Title field at the top.
• Click the + Criterion button to add a row for each of the criteria in the rubric. In the Description of Criterion, briefly define what is being evaluated. This might include the specific skill or learning outcome being assessed, required components or content elements, the expected level of depth or accuracy, formatting or citation standards, or other core expectations for that category.
• In the Ratings column, use the + button to add more performance levels or point options. Click the pencil icon within each rating level to enter detailed performance expectations that distinguish levels of achievement (for example, what earns full credit versus partial credit). These descriptions typically break performance down into a scale such as 5–0 or 4–0.
  • Note: The description of the criterion defines what is being assessed. The descriptions within the ratings define how well the student performed on that criterion.
• When finished, select Create Rubric (or Update Rubric) to save your changes.

Manage a Rubric

Click Rubrics in the course navigation menu.

• Cannot be edited after being connected to more than one assignment (create a copy to make a new one).
• Rubrics can be set as non-scoring, or include a point range or individual point value.
• When deleted, the rubric is no longer available for future assignments (it is still available for current assignments).

For detailed instructions, see How do I manage rubrics in a course?.

Additional Resources

• TLC Gude: Canvas: Creating Rubrics