Rubrics

Developing and Using Rubrics

What Is a Rubric?

A rubric is a scoring tool used to assess student performance based upon a specific set of criteria. A rubric consists of the following three components:

1. criteria: the characteristics of performance (e.g., thesis statement, organization, evidence)
2. levels of performance: the degree to which a student is expected to meet a given criteria (e.g., exceeded expectations, met expectations, did not meet expectations)
3. descriptors: specific explanation linked to each criteria and level of performance. the characteristics associated with each dimension (e.g., Bibliography contains very little information, All relevant information is included)

Rubrics can be used to provide feedback to students on diverse types of assignments, from papers, projects, and oral presentations to artistic performances and group projects.

Type of Rubrics

Developing Rubrics

Below are important points/questions to consider while constructing a rubric:

1. What is the purpose of the rubric?
   It is very important to define the goals for which you intend to develop a rubric.  Do you intend to use it to grade students’ assignment/project or provide feedback or both? Is the rubric meant for a simple learning task or a major/complex project?
2. What type of rubric do you prefer to use?
   The choice of a rubric type will depend on the nature of the assignment you need to score using a rubric.  Do you need to use an analytic rubric and, therefore, provide students feedback and detailed score, or do you need a holistic rubric to allow for broad feedback and overall sense of students’ performance?
3. What are your criteria?
   The criteria in a rubric should reflect observable and measurable expectations relative to the task/assignment for which you are developing a rubric. Each criterion should be different from the other, and should be stated in a precise, unambiguous language.
4. What is your rating scale?
   How will you determine various levels of student performance? How many rating scales do you plan to have in the rubric? Do the rating scales reflect the purpose of the rubric?
5. Does your rubric have descriptors?
   Descriptors should be observable and measurable, and distinct from each other.  They should show "growth" or "progression" from lower levels of performance to higher levels of performance, and should be written in a consistent and parallel language across the scale.

Benefits of using rubrics

The benefits of using rubrics in courses can be observed by both instructors and students. According to Suskie (2009, p. 139), rubrics:

• Help clarify vague, fuzzy goals.
• Help students understand your expectations.
• Help students self-improve.
• Inspire better student performance.
• Make scoring easier and faster.
• Make scoring more accurate, unbiased, and consistent.
• Improve feedback to students.
• Reduce arguments with students.
• Improve feedback to faculty and staff.

Rubric Resources

AAC&U's VALUE Rubrics

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) developed a set of rubrics for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning through a project called VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education.  The rubrics were developed for the following outcome categories/themes.

Intellectual and Practical Skills

• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Reading
• Quantitative literacy
• Information literacy
• Teamwork
• Problem solving

Personal and Social Responsibility

• Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
• Intercultural knowledge and competence
• Ethical reasoning
• Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Integrative and Applied Learning

• Integrative and applied learning
• RCampus' iRubric: A free online resource that helps create rubrics in a collaborative learning environment.
• RubiStar: A free online website tool developed through the Advanced Learning Technologies (ALTEC) project at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning helps visitors create rubrics.

Related Scholarly Articles and Books:

• Rhodes, T. (2010). Assessing Outcomes and Improving Achievement: Tips and Tools for Using Rubrics. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. This AAC&U publication provides an overview of the VALUE project and the creation of 15 rubrics that were developed collaboratively between faculty and academic professionals.
• Stevens, D. D., & Levi, A. J. (2012). Introduction to rubrics. Sterling, VA: Stylus. This book provides background on the purposes of rubrics and includes information on the use of rubrics in program assessment. Examples of rubrics are also provided.
• Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. This book, in addition to providing other assessment tools, highlights examples of different rubrics used in courses such as rating scales, checklist rubrics, descriptive rubrics, and structured observation guides.

Rubric Resources at other institutions

• Stephen F. Austin State University Rubric Assessment Resource Page: Examples of rubrics of both discipline-specific and college-wide outcomes are provided.
• University of Hawai'i Manoa's Rubric Bank: This page provides rubrics for different student learning outcomes designated as essential for the university. A How-to guide on creating rubrics is also posted.
• Winona State University has an extensive list of rubrics for various disciplines, skills, and college-level assignments include examples from many campuses.

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