Quizzes, Rubrics, and Grading

Quiz

A set of questions that tests student understanding. Most course platforms have built-in quiz tools.

Common quiz types:

• Multiple choice — One correct answer from several options. Easiest to grade automatically.
• True/false — Simplest format. Good for quick knowledge checks.
• Multiple select — More than one correct answer. Harder to write but tests deeper understanding.
• Short answer / fill-in-the-blank — Student types a response. Can be auto-graded if you set acceptable answers.
• Essay / long answer — Requires manual grading. Use sparingly in online courses.

Best practice: 2–3 questions per lesson for formative quizzes. 5–10 questions per module for deeper checks. Multiple choice is your friend — it auto-grades, gives instant feedback, and doesn’t require your time.

Rubric

A scoring guide that defines what constitutes different levels of performance on an assignment or project. Usually presented as a grid:

Criteria	Excellent (4)	Good (3)	Needs Work (2)	Missing (1)
Headline follows PAS	Uses all three elements clearly	Missing one element	Vague or unclear	No headline
Benefit statements	Specific and measurable	Mostly specific	Vague features list	No benefits

When to use rubrics: When you’re grading subjective work — written assignments, projects, presentations, portfolio pieces. Rubrics make grading consistent and give students clear expectations.

For most online courses: You won’t need rubrics unless you’re offering graded feedback on student work. If your course uses automated quizzes, rubrics aren’t relevant.

Grading

How student work is scored.

• Auto-graded — The platform scores it instantly (multiple choice, true/false). Zero effort from you.
• Manual grading — You review and score the work yourself (essays, projects, portfolios). Time-intensive.
• Peer review — Students grade each other’s work. Used in large cohort courses (like MOOCs).

Practical advice: Auto-grade everything you can. Only manually grade work if you’re charging premium prices that justify your time investment in individual feedback.

Pass/Fail Threshold

The minimum score required to “pass” a quiz or course. Common in certification courses.

Example: “Students must score 70% or higher on the final assessment to receive a certificate.”

When to set one: When your course leads to a credential, certification, or CEU. For most online courses, there’s no pass/fail — students progress at their own pace.

Adaptive Assessment

Questions that adjust in difficulty based on the student’s previous answers. Get a question right → the next one is harder. Get it wrong → the next one is easier.

Do you need to care? Probably not. This is used in standardized testing and advanced educational software. Most course platforms don’t offer it.

Question Bank

A pool of questions that the platform randomly draws from for each quiz attempt. Prevents students from sharing answers because each person sees different questions.

When to use it: For certification or compliance courses where quiz integrity matters. For most courses, a fixed set of questions is fine.