Rubrics API Terms Clarification

Question

Hey Dev Community

I'm exploring the possible need to use the Rubrics API endpoints to associate a rubric to an assignment and am a bit perplexed what the different objects on the API doc page are referring to: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/rubrics.html

Rubric objects are a given, but...

RubricAssessments seem to indicate the use of a rubric to grade an assignment submission within SpeedGrader, correct?

RubricAssociations has me baffled. Is this the endpoint list that one would use to tell associate a rubric for use with an assignment? It seems like you would just need 3 pieces of information...the course id, rubric id, and the assignment id, but I don't see a succinct API call that includes just those 3 things.

https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/rubrics.html#method.rubric_associations.create

In the Live API the only required field is the course id. How does one tell the API to associate a rubric with an assignment within the course?

JamesSekcienski · Accepted Answer

Hello @themidiman,

Yes you are correct that the RubricAssessments is the representation of the score data when grading with a rubric in SpeedGrader.

RubricAssociations is to define what the rubric is connected to.  Rubrics can be connected to (or associated with) one or more accounts, courses, and/or assignments.  Thus, you would need to create a RubricAssociation if you are trying to link an existing rubric to an assignment.

The endpoint you link to is correct: Create a RubricAssociation

This requires the course ID as part of the request URL: POST /api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubric_associations

In addition, I used the following request parameters when I've used this before for an association with an assignment:

* rubric_association[rubric_id]* The ID of the rubric you want to link to the assignment

* rubric_association[association_id]* The ID of the assignment you are linking to

* rubric_association[association_type]* Use "Assignment" since you are associating with an assignment

* rubric_association[use_for_grading]* Include this if you want to ensure that it is set to be used for grading.  This will make it so the total score from the rubric will automatically update as the score for the submission.
* I think it defaults to false if you don't include this

* rubric_association[purpose]* For assignments the purpose would be "grading"

* rubric_association[bookmarked]* Not sure if this is required for an assignment association, but I set it to true