Have you felt overwhelmed with the task of grading student assignments? Do you ever feel that your students just don’t seem to get the purpose of your assignment, or that your grading might be too subjective? Rubrics are tools used to address these challenges and overall improve the grading process.
A rubric is a grading tool that instructors use to assess the performance or quality of student work. Rubrics help communicate expectations with students and can provide informative feedback to both students and instructors on learning. When used correctly, rubrics can make grading more objective and fair, and help students learn from the grading process. However, rubrics do take time and effort to create.
A typical rubric will contain three aspects; the criteria (elements of the assignment that are important in determining a grade), the rating levels (the levels used to measure the quality of student performance), and descriptors (descriptions of what performance looks like within each section of the rubric matrix).
- What are your intended student learning outcomes?
- Define the criteria –
- Determine how many rating levels you need – some assignments may only use the criteria (met/not met) while others will have multiple rating levels used for determining a grade (A,B,C, etc.). Because letter grades mean different things to different people, it is helpful to use descriptors for each level (beginning, developing, accomplished, exemplary, OR, below expectations, meets expectations, exceeds expectations).
- Write descriptors for each aspect of the rubric – descriptions of the student performance that is judged. Descriptors should be consistent across each criteria aspects but with variation in the amount, frequency, or duration (if ‘providing evidence for the argument’ is stated within a criteria, it should be part of each level, ‘provides strong evidence,’ provides minimal evidence,’ ‘provides no evidence’).
Additional Resources
Evaluate your rubric with the Rubric Rubric
Have you felt overwhelmed with the task of grading student assignments?
Do you ever feel that your students just don’t seem to get the purpose of your assignment, or that your grading might be too subjective?
Rubrics are tools used to address these challenges and overall improve the grading process.
What is a Rubric?
A rubric is a grading tool that instructors use to assess the performance or quality of student work. Rubrics help communicate expectations with students and can provide informative feedback to both students and instructors on learning. When used correctly, rubrics can make grading more objective and fair, and help students learn from the grading process. However, rubrics do take time and effort to create.
A typical rubric will contain three aspects; the criteria (elements of the assignment that are important in determining a grade), the rating levels (the levels used to measure the quality of student performance), and descriptors (descriptions of what performance looks like within each section of the rubric matrix).
The following steps will help guide you as you develop a grading rubric for your assignments.
Steps to Developing a Rubric
1.
Define the learning objectives
Description: In this initial step, clarify the specific learning objectives or outcomes you want to assess through the assignment. This step is essential for ensuring alignment with course goals and focusing on the essential skills and knowledge students should acquire.
Guiding Questions:
- What are the specific learning objectives or outcomes for this assignment?
- What skills, knowledge, or competencies do you want students to demonstrate?
- How do these objectives align with the course or program goals?
2.
Define the criteria
Description: Identify the key dimensions or criteria that will be used to evaluate student performance on the assignment. Break down the assignment’s learning objectives into measurable components or categories that reflect what you want to assess.
Guiding Questions:
- What are the key dimensions or criteria that will be used to evaluate student performance?
- How can you break down the assignment’s learning objectives into measurable components?
- Are there any specific elements or aspects of the assignment that need to be assessed separately?
3.
Establish performance levels
Description: Define the performance levels that represent varying degrees of achievement for each criterion. Clearly describe what differentiates excellent, good, average, and poor performance for each criterion, making the language concise and understandable.
Guiding Questions:
- What distinguishes excellent, good, average, and poor performance for each criterion?
- How can you articulate these performance levels in clear and concise language?
- Are there specific examples or descriptors that can illustrate each performance level?
4.
Create the rubric structure
Description: Decide on the format and organization of your rubric. You can choose from various formats such as holistic, analytic, grid, or single-point. Organize the criteria and performance levels within the rubric, considering the most logical and user-friendly arrangement.
Guiding Questions:
- What format will your rubric take, and how will it be organized (e.g., holistic, analytic, grid)?
- How will you structure and present the criteria and performance levels within the rubric?
- Should you include a space for comments or feedback in the rubric?
5.
Test and refine the rubric
Description: Before using the rubric for grading, pilot it with a sample assignment to ensure it aligns with your intended assessment and provides fair and accurate evaluations. Review the rubric’s language for clarity and assess whether any ambiguities or sources of bias need addressing.
Guiding Questions:
- Can you pilot the rubric with a sample assignment to ensure its alignment with your assessment goals?
- Is the language in the rubric clear and understandable for both you and your students?
- Are there any ambiguities or potential sources of bias in the rubric that need to be addressed?
Additional Resources
- Carnegie Mellon: Creating and using rubrics
- Evaluate your rubric with the Rubric rubric
