Add a Rubric/Grading Guide to a Forum
Why Do This?
An instructor can build a rubric or grading guide within Cougar Courses to use when
grading a forum using whole forum grading (not available with Ratings). Please see our help guide on forum settings for more information on enabling whole forum grading. A rubric is a series of criterion with levels of achievement for each. When grading
a student using a rubric the instructor chooses the level of achievement for each
criterion and the overall score is automatically calculated. A grading guide is a
series of criterion worth a certain number of points, however there are no levels
of achievement. When grading a student using a grading guide the instructor writes
comments for each criterion and assigns a score. The overall score is then automatically
calculated. If used, the rubric/grading guide is visible to students, both before
they post to the Forum and when reviewing their grade and feedback. Once the instructor
builds a rubric or grading guide it can be used for any forum in any of their courses.
Overview
Build a Rubric
- While viewing the forum, click on the gear icon in the upper right to open the Forum
administration block. Then click on Advanced Grading.

- If you did not set the grading method in the settings to Rubric, do so now.

- To build a new rubric choose 鈥淒efine new grading form from scratch.鈥 If instead you
want to use a previously built rubric, skip down to the Use a Previously Built Rubric/Grading
Guide section.

- Give the rubric a name. If desired, provide a description.

- Click to edit the name/text of first criterion.

- Click the edit the name/text of the first level. Set the point value for this level.

- Repeat for each level.
- To add another level, click Add Level. To remove a level, click the X.

- Click Add criterion to add another criterion.

- Repeat steps 6-9 for each criterion.
- We recommend keeping the defaults for the Rubric Options.

- If your rubric is ready, click 鈥渟ave rubric and make it ready.鈥 If you are still editing,
click 鈥渟ave as draft.鈥 Before you can use a rubric, you must eventually click 鈥渟ave
rubric and make it ready.鈥

- To edit the rubric, from the Advanced Grading area, click 鈥淓dit the current form definition.鈥

- To delete the rubric, from the Advanced Grading area, click 鈥渄elete the currently
defined form鈥

Build a Grading Guide
- While viewing the forum, click on the gear icon in the upper right to open the Forum
administration block. Then click on Advanced Grading.

- If you did not set the grading method in the settings to Grading Guide, do so now.

- To build a new grading guide choose 鈥淒efine new grading form from scratch.鈥 If instead
you want to use a previously built grading guide, skip down to the Use a Previously
Built Rubric/Grading Guide section.

- Give the grading guide a name. If desired, provide a description.

- Enter a criterion name.

- Enter a description visible to students.

- Enter a description for graders.

- Enter the Maximum Score for this criterion.

- Click Add Criterion to add another criterion.

- Repeat steps 6-9 for each criterion.
- If you believe you will be using certain comments over and over when grading, you
can pre-build them under Frequently Use Comments. Enter the comment in the 鈥渃lick
to edit鈥 box and then click 鈥淎dd frequently used comment.鈥 Repeat for each comment.

- If your grading guide is ready, click 鈥渟ave grading guide and make it ready.鈥 If you
are still editing, click 鈥渟ave as draft.鈥 Before you can use a grading guide, you
must eventually click 鈥渟ave grading guide and make it ready.鈥

- To edit the grading guide, from the Advanced Grading area, click 鈥淓dit the current
form definition.鈥

- To delete the grading guide, from the Advanced Grading area, click 鈥渄elete the currently
defined form.鈥

Use a Previously Built Rubric/Grading Guide
- From the Advanced Grading page, click on 鈥淐reate new grading form from a template.鈥

- Check the box for 鈥渋nclude my own forms鈥 and enter the name of the rubric/grading
guide in the search box. Click Search.

- Underneath the rubric/grading guide you wish to use, click 鈥渦se this form as a template.鈥

- On the confirmation page click Continue.

- If you wish to edit the rubric/grading guide, click 鈥渆dit the current form definition.鈥
Otherwise the rubric/grading guide is ready to be used.
