1. Using Marking Guides in Moodle
A marking guide is very similar to a rubric, but it's simpler. For each criterion, a comment explains what
is being sought, and provides a maximum score that can be given. Grading using a marking guide is more
precise and less subjective than awarding a single grade. You can allow students to view the marking
guide before they submit, so that they know exactly what they’re being graded on. At this time marking
guides are only available for use with the assignment tool within Moodle.
This worksheet will instruct you on how to:
Create a marking guide
Allow students to view a marking guide
Grade an assignment using a marking guide
Edit or delete a marking guide
Create a marking guide
Advanced grading options such as rubrics and marking guides can currently only be used with Moodle
assignments. To use a marking guide, you must first create an assignment.In the assignment setup you
will be prompted to choose the Grading Method you'd like to use.
1. When creating an assignment, choose marking guide for the Grading Method.
2. When you are finished setting the other assignment options, click the Save and Display button at the
bottom of the page.
This step is important, it's what lets Moodle know to display the Advanced Grading screen.

2. Using Marking Guides in Moodle 2
You can also access the rubric setup screen by clicking the Advanced Grading link in the
Settings block when viewing an assignment.
The Advanced Grading screen will be displayed.
Before you can begin to create your marking guide, you must first figure out how you want to set it up.
You should define the criteria by which you will base the student's grade. It is helpful to pull this
information directly from the description of the assignment. You will create a criterion for each item you
require, then you’ll assign a maximum point value (mark) to that criterion. For example, we have an
assignment that specifies that the students are to create a "For Sale" flyer. This flyer should contain a
title, a list of items that are for sale, contact information, a graphic or image, and attractive formatting. So
in this case these items will be set up as criterion. Then you need to decide how many points each
criterion is worth. The sum of these points should be equal to the total points the assignment is worth.
1. Click the Define new grading form from scratch button.
The Define Marking Guide screen will be displayed.
2. Type a Name for the marking guide.
3. Key a description for the marking guide if desired.
4. At Marking guide, click where indicated to type:
a. a criterion name (for example, a question number or question text, or a desired quality
in the answer such as Logical coherence, Grammatical correctness)

3. Using Marking Guides in Moodle 3
b. a criterion description that only students will see, directing them as to what the markers
will be looking for
c. a criterion description that only markers will see, indicating what is expected of the
students
d. a maximum mark for this question or aspect of the assignment.
5. Click Add criterion. Another set of clickable fields displays.
6. Continue to add criterion as needed.
7. At Frequently used comments, click where indicated to type a comment, then click Add
frequently used comments and type another, until you have entered all comments the markers
are likely to need.
8. Under Marking guide options, select whether the students will be able to see the description, or
the marks that are being awarded for each criterion.
9. Click Save marking guide and make it ready.
Tell students how to view the marking guide
To view the marking guide you've created for an assignment, students should:
1. Log in to Moodle.

4. Using Marking Guides in Moodle 4
2. Open the course.
3. On the course home page, click the assignment link.
4. On the submission page, in the Navigation block, select Submissions grading below the
assignment link.
5. The marking criteria display and, if they were permitted during setup, the guide definition and
the maximum marks.
Mark an assignment using a marking guide
1. On the course home page, click the assignment's link.
2. On the assignment's home page, click the View [number] submitted assignments.
3. On the Submissions page, in the Status column (at the far right), click the Grade link (or icon) for
the first submitted assignment.
The Feedback page for the student displays, containing:
a link to the submission
in the Grades section, the marking guide criteria (with comment boxes and score fields for
you to complete), Frequently used comments for you to click to add to boxes, and the
option to hide criterion descriptions if you want a less cluttered page.
in the Feedback section, a box where you can add feedback text and a space for you to
add/drag any Response files you want to use in response to the submission.
You can also select the Send notifications check box to let the student know their
assignment has been graded.
4. Complete the Feedback page and either:
click Save to return to the Submissions page, or
Save and show next to save your changes and move on to marking the next submission.
Edit or delete a marking guide
5. In the Moodle course home page, click the assignment's link.
6. On the assignment's home page, in the Settings block, under Assignment administration
selectAdvanced grading.
7. In the resulting page:
To edit the guide, either click the Edit the current form definition or, in the Settings block,
under Assignment administration > Advanced grading, select Define marking guide.
To delete the existing guide, click Delete the currently defined form.
8. When an assignment has been marked using a marking guide you are editing, when you click
Save you will see a message, asking whether the assignments require regrading as a result of
your changes.