Creating and Using a Rubric as a Tool for Assessment
Rubrics are reserved for assessments requiring complex, novel creation of new products or performances, or assessments requiring the learner to solve a new problem or to reveal a new understanding. Rubrics should only describe levels of quality of the product, performance, solution, or understanding. Key things to remember about rubrics include:
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Rubrics should only identify the most important aspects or traits of the expected results (called domains)
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Scoring criteria should be written as empirical (not comparative) descriptors and use positive language that identifies what the student work includes, not what is missing or does not do
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Scoring criteria should include an even number of performance levels (e.g., 1-4 or 1-6).
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“At-standard” or very good work should be in the level that is one past the mid-line on the rubric and the criteria must be clearly described; the remaining criteria performance level descriptions are optional
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Rubrics should not build in ways to get a grade without the quality of work determined
Example Rubrics from the Association of American Colleges and Universities:
Critical Thinking
Ethical Reasoning
Inquiry and Analysis
Lifelong Learning
Problem Solving
Written Communication