[Rubrics] Ability to Attach Outcomes to Existing Criteria
Currently, when adding Outcomes to a rubric in Canvas, they must be added as separate criteria at the bottom of the rubric. This setup makes rubrics longer and harder to navigate for both instructors and students. Use Case Examples: Cluttered and Redundant Rubrics Scenario: An instructor creates a rubric with clear grading criteria such as "Clarity of Argument," "Use of Evidence," and "Grammar & Mechanics." Issue: If they need to align institutional learning outcomes (e.g., "Critical Thinking" or "Written Communication") with these criteria, they must add separate Outcome rows at the bottom, making the rubric unnecessarily long and repetitive. Impact: Students may struggle to understand how the Outcomes relate to their work, and instructors must reference two separate sections when grading. Inefficiency in Grading Workflow Scenario: A teacher grading an essay sees “Organization” as a rubric criterion but has to scroll down to find an Outcome row related to "Logical Structure." Issue: Instead of scoring everything within a single row, the instructor must evaluate the same concept twice—once for the criterion and separately for the Outcome. Impact: This slows down grading, increases cognitive load, and creates potential inconsistencies. Confusing Student Feedback Scenario: A student checks their rubric feedback and sees scores for both rubric criteria and Outcomes listed separately at the bottom. Issue: Since Outcomes are not visually linked to specific rubric rows, students may not understand how their performance in a given category ties to broader learning goals. Impact: This makes feedback less actionable and can lead to misunderstandings about expectations. Difficulty Meeting Institutional Assessment Needs Scenario: A department requires instructors to assess critical thinking skills via institutional Outcomes but allows flexibility in how assignments are graded. Issue: Instructors must add extra Outcome rows rather than simply aligning them with an existing grading criterion (e.g., "Analysis & Interpretation"). Impact: This leads to inconsistencies across courses and makes Outcome reporting less intuitive for faculty and administrators.
Instead of requiring Outcomes to be standalone criteria, we propose the ability to attach one or more Outcomes to existing rubric criteria. With this functionality, instructors could seamlessly align Outcomes with their existing rubric structure, reducing redundancy and improving clarity in grading and assessment. Use Cases: Improved Rubric Readability – By integrating Outcomes into existing criteria, rubrics remain concise and easier to interpret for both students and instructors. Better Outcome Alignment – Many assignments already have well-defined rubric criteria, and instructors should be able to link Outcomes without duplicating information. More Efficient Assessment – This change would streamline grading workflows by ensuring that rubrics remain clear and manageable while maintaining accurate Outcome tracking.
admin,instructor,designer
