Canvas: Rubrics Troubleshooting with Tips and Examples

These tips and trick were gathered at a Canvas Investigation meeting of academic technologists in April 2019 and compiled by Annika Moe.

Contents - Questions answered in this article

  • I can't edit a rubric attached to multiple assignments!
  • I can't add a rubric to my assignment that uses Turnitin (or other LTI)!
  • Students can't see the rubric on an assignment using Turnitin (or other LTI)!
  • I can't find the Find a rubric button in Rubric manager!
  • I can't use an Outcome in a freeform Rubric!
  • How can I evaluate multiple items a student has submitted using one rubric?

I can't edit a rubric attached to multiple assignments!

If you have attached the same rubric to multiple assignments within a single course, you cannot edit this rubric. Canvas will allow you to make a copy of the rubric and subsequently edit the new copy.

Advice: Do not attach "draft rubrics" to assignments. Your rubric should be complete and accurate before attaching it to multiple assignments. Otherwise you'll have to remove the rubric from all but one assignment before you can edit it. You'll then need to reattach it to all assignments after you are finished. This is discussed in the Canvas article How do I manage rubrics in a course?

I can't add a rubric to my assignment that uses Turnitin (or other LTI)!

The + Rubric button disappears if you enable an LTI tool within an assignment, such as TurnitIn or Voicethread. However, if a rubric is already attached to the assignment, it can still be accessed through the Speedgrader tool and used for student assessment.  

Advice: Attach your rubric before enabling any LTI tools in an assignment.  

This is discussed in the UMN IT article Canvas: Adding a rubric when the assignment uses an External Tool.

Students can't see the rubric on an assignment using Turnitin (or other LTI)!

When an LTI tool is enabled in an assignment, the rubric is no longer visible to students using a browser. However, it is still visible to students on the mobile platform's Grade tab.

Advice: Make sure students have an alternative way of accessing the evaluation criteria, either in assignment instructions or elsewhere.

I can't find the Find a rubric button in Rubric manager!

If you create a rubric directly within an assignment, you'll see a Find a Rubric option where you can select an existing rubric from any other course in which you are listed as a teacher or designer. sys_attachment.do?sys_id=5fd616f1db157784c318e7b51b9619ea

 If you create a rubric from the Rubrics page (accessed through the Manage Rubrics Button), this option disappears.Add a Rubric is in upper right of Rubrics page.

 

Find rubric not available in upper right corner.

Advice: If you want to use a rubric from a source outside of the course,

  • create the rubric directly from the assignment to which it will be attached, or
  • import the rubric through the Import Course Content tool. It will then appear on the course's Rubrics page.

I can't use an Outcome in a freeform Rubric!

If you use a freeform rubric, you will not be able to add outcomes to your rubric for evaluation. Evaluating an outcome requires defined levels of the criterion.

Example Suggestion: Use a range format rubric and create two levels for each criteria - graded and no credit.Freeform rubric with ranges

How can I evaluate multiple items a student has submitted using one rubric?

The best way to do this is by editing the rubric ad adding criterion for each item. See the example rubric below:Rubric where criteria are individual items

 

Last modified

Changed

TDX ID

TDX ID
2622