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How To Guide: Acai Rubric Assistant

Dayne
Updated

The ACAI Rubric Assistant helps instructors quickly generate rubric criteria and performance level descriptions using AI, saving time while maintaining pedagogical quality and consistency.

This guide explains what the ACAI Rubric Assistant does, how to use it, and its current limitations.

 

What is the ACAI Rubric Assistant?

The ACAI Rubric Assistant uses AI to support instructors in creating rubrics by:

  • Generating criteria based on an assignment description

  • Suggesting performance level descriptions (e.g. Exemplary, Proficient, Developing)

  • Helping refine wording for clarity and consistency

It is designed as a starting point, not a final grading authority. Instructors retain full control over editing and approving rubric content.

 

Where can I find the ACAI Rubric Assistant?

You can access the ACAI Rubric Assistant when creating or editing a rubric in supported FeedbackFruits activities, such as:

  • Assignment Review

  • Peer Review

  • Group Member Evaluation (with rubrics enabled)

When opening the rubric editor, the ACAI option will appear as a suggestion or assistant panel.

 

How to use the ACAI Rubric Assistant

Step 1: Create or open a rubric

  1. Open your FeedbackFruits activity.

  2. Go to Rubric settings.

  3. Click Create new rubric or edit an existing one.

     

Step 2: Provide context for ACAI

To get meaningful suggestions, make sure your activity includes:

  • An assignment description or instructions

  • Clear learning objectives or assessment focus

The quality of ACAI suggestions depends on the clarity of this input.

 

Step 3: Generate rubric suggestions

  1. Click the ACAI Rubric Assistant option.

  2. Review the suggested:

    • Criteria

    • Performance levels

    • Descriptions per level

  3. Select the suggestions you want to keep.

     

Step 4: Review and edit manually

All ACAI-generated content is fully editable. We strongly recommend:

  • Reviewing alignment with course learning outcomes

  • Adjusting wording to match your grading standards

  • Ensuring clarity for students

 

What the ACAI Rubric Assistant does not do

It’s important to note the following limitations:

  • ACAI does not assign weights to criteria

  • ACAI does not determine grades automatically

  • ACAI does not aggregate scores across criteria

  • Criterion weighting (e.g. 30%, 25%) is not supported inside the rubric editor

If weighting is required, this must be handled:

  • At the activity grading level, or

  • Manually after exporting results

 

Best practices

  • Use ACAI as a drafting aid, not a final rubric

  • Always review AI-generated content before publishing

  • Communicate expectations clearly to students, especially if using rubrics formatively

  • If weighting is important, include it in the criterion title or description (e.g. “Clarity & Organization – 25%”)

 

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