Rubrics are carefully designed tools intended to assist both students and faculty with the assessment process. Rubrics clearly detail assessment criteria and levels of acceptable and unacceptable performance. Typically they are constructed and distributed to students in conjunction with the assessment task itself. Rubrics can be beneficial instruments for both students and faculty.
When rubrics are used, students know exactly how they will be evaluated before beginning an assignment; this allows them to focus on the most important aspects of the task. They can promote self-assessment of work as students compare their product to the standards on the rubric. Furthermore, rubrics can facilitate a more explicit communication of the quality of work back to the student.
At the same time, rubrics give faculty uniform standards by which to judge student work. Perhaps more importantly, they provide an opportunity for instructors to consider the goals of an assignment and standards for assessment before planning learning activities. Understanding the desired outcomes can foster the development of effective, relevant instructional strategies that prepare students for the assigned task.
Creating a rubric can seem like a daunting task, but there are really only a few simple steps to follow. Below are some general guidelines, but see the links under “More Information” for detailed instructions.
- Identify unique, measureable objectives – these objectives needn’t be quantifiable, but should be distinguishable.
- Establish levels of achievement – use any number that is reasonable and manageable; commonly, 3-5 levels are used.
- Describe characteristics of achievement levels for each objective – what does “excellent” or “inadequate” work look like?
- Assign a numerical value to each achievement level for each objective – use the total number of points for the assignment to distribute points among objectives and achievement levels.
- Test and revise – have colleagues and/or students review the rubric and consider their comments; apply the rubric to assignments and make improvements for future use.
Want to learn more?
Contact the Center for personalized assistance or visit these web sites -
Scoring Rubrics: What, When and How?
Grading with Rubrics: Developing a Fair and Efficient Assessment Tool
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