How to create a rubric for a Moodle assignment

This refers to Moodle 4.1 from September 2023 onwards

To create a rubric for an existing Moodle assignment, first access the assignment.

Select the 'Advanced grading' option beneath the assignment name.

Screenshot of Advanced Grading menu under the module title

From the 'grading method' field, select Rubric.

Screenshot of grading method option with Rubric selected from the drop-down list

If you are creating a new Moodle assignment, you can select Rubric as the Grading method (in the drop down list under the 'Grades' option) when you create the new Moodle assignment.

Creating a rubric

Select 'Define new grading form from scratch' or 'Create new grading form from a template' if you already have a Moodle rubric you want to reuse.

Enter a name for the rubric (and description if required).

The screenshot below shows a blank criterion with 3 levels and the number of points for each level.

screenshot showing a blank criterion with 3 levels and the number of points for each level

Edit the name of the criterion and levels as required and click on the 'Add level' button to add new levels if needed. You can also update the points for each level.

Add one or more new criteria for any additional elements that need to be assessed.

screenshot showing completed criteria with 3 levels and the number of points for each level

The rubric shown above gives the Knowledge criterion a greater weighting than the one for Referencing.

You can set the Rubric options to control how, when and to whom the rubric is displayed (see below).
Levels can be sorted in ascending or descending order.

Screenshot shows Rubric options used to control how, when and to whom the rubric is displayed

You can either 'Save as draft' or 'Save rubric and make it ready'.

On the grading pages, the rubric will appear as a matrix of levels and criteria, so that markers can set a level by clicking (option turns green when clicked). Markers can also enter criterion specific feedback here if this has been enabled when the rubric was set up:

the marking screen view of the rubric showing how markers can select the relevant level (indicated in green when clicked)

Once released, students will see their rubric feedback under the Grade breakdown heading when they access their marks and feedback in Moodle:

The student view of the rubric once released. The marker comments and levels are visible

Setting up a marking guide in Moodle Assignment

A marking guide (similar to a grading form in Turnitin) has criteria against which to mark, but no levels or descriptors.
The marker adds free text against each criterion, and a mark (out of a set total).

To create:

Follow the same steps as for adding a rubric, but select Marking guide from the dropdown menu.
When you have created the assignment, click into it.
Select 'Define new grading form from scratch' or 'Create new grading form from a template' if you already have a Moodle marking guide you want to reuse.
Add a Title for each criterion
Add a Description for students
Add a Description for markers (these can be the same or different)
Add a "Maximum score"