Skip to main content

Grading Method: Grading Guide

Learn how to use a grading guide

Updated over 7 months ago

Purpose

the purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to set up the grading guide feature

Note

Grading guide, like Rubrics, is a type of Advanced Grading Method in Moodle. It allows you to design a set of criteria and then post comments and a score for each criterion. The form then totals the scores to calculate a total grade for the activity.

Procedures

Create a Grading guide for an assignment

  1. Start with a new Assignment activity or a Forum activity. This example shows how to set it up in an Assignment, but the process is very similar for both

    Screenshot with three highlighted areas: Grade section title, grading method dropdown menu set to Grading guide, and button labeled Save and display

  2. Scroll to the Grade section of the Assignment settings page

  3. Click the dropdown menu for Grading method and choose Grading Guide. You can also select Rubric, however these instructions focus only on the Grading guide

  4. Next, click on Save and display in order to access the Grading guide setup screen

  5. Don’t choose Save and return to course. If you do, you’ll need to go to the Assignment settings menu and select Define grading guide from the dropdown menu

  6. Click on Define new grading form from scratch to begin setting up your grading form

Define new grading form from scratch option selected


Refer to the screenshot below the following steps for help with the steps:

  1. Name the guide

  2. Add a description (optional)

  3. Add the desired information into the first criterion:

    Criterion Name

    Description for students

    Description for graders

    Maximum score

  4. If you need more than one, Click on the +Add Criterion button to set up additional items

  5. Next, add Frequently used comments if desired (optional)

  6. Click on, Save grading guide and make it ready when you are finished

  7. If you need to finish later, select the Save as draft option

Screenshot with arrows pointing to each of the six steps above


​

Assignment Grader screen view

Your grading screen will look similar to the screenshot below. The Grading guide criteria appear first. Each criterion has a field for comments and the numerical grade. The usual Assignment feedback options are located below the Criterion items. The Grading guide can also be set up in Forums.

Arrows pointing to commenting features

Reuse a Grading guide

  1. Start a new Assignment or Forum

  2. Choose Grading Guide as the Grading Method (as described earlier in these instructions)

  3. Click on Create new grading form from a template

    Create new grading form from a template option selected

  4. Checkmark the box include my own forms and click the Search button

    Checkbox next to Include my own forms and button labeled Search

  5. Scroll to the bottom of the grading form that you want to use and click on, Use this form as a template. Click on Continue

    Link labeled Use this form as a template


    ​

    Red arrow pointing to Edit the current form definition option

  6. Click on, Edit the current form definition button

  7. Rename the form

  8. Make your desired changes to it for the new activity

  9. Click on Save when you are finished editing or Save as draft if you need to finish later

Buttons labeled Save and Save as a draft

Did this answer your question?