What
is a Grading Rubric?
A rubric is a grading tool, which outlines
the expectations for an assignment or project. A rubric divides assignments into components
and provides details of the quality of the work expected with each
component. Rubrics are used for a
variety of assignments including papers, projects, presentations, performances,
group projects, etc. Rubrics are used as
scoring or grading guides, to provide formative feedback intended to support
and guide students' learning.
Using a
rubric provides several advantages to both instructors and students. Grading
according to an explicit and descriptive set of criteria that is designed to
reflect the weighted importance of the objectives of the assignment helps
ensure that the instructor’s grading standards don’t change over time. Grading
consistency is difficult to maintain over time because of fatigue, shifting
standards based on prior experience, or intrusion of other criteria.
Furthermore, rubrics can reduce the time spent grading by reducing uncertainty
and by allowing instructors to refer to the rubric description associated with
a score rather than having to write long comments. Finally, grading rubrics are
invaluable in large courses that have multiple graders (other instructors,
teaching assistants, etc.) because they can help ensure consistency across
graders and reduce the systematic bias that can be introduced between graders
(Carnegie Mellon, 2014).
Knowing how valuable rubrics are in
setting clear expectations and providing guidance to students, I am surprised how
many secondary teachers and college instructors do not use rubrics. In a recent course in my graduate program,
the instructor did not use a grading rubric on any assignments. I can tell you from a student’s perspective this
created ambiguity and frustration on certain assignments. The instructor’s rationale was that the
syllabus outlined instructions and suggested resources for the assignment and
that a rubric would stifle creativity.
I disagree, I think rubrics establish
a framework in which students can be creative and still meet the assignment
objectives. Establishing boundaries and
setting parameters is not stifling creativity it is providing guidance in
unfamiliar territory. I have linked a
rubric used in a previous course to this post for anyone who cares to learn how
to create or use a rubric.
Carnegie Mellon. (n.d.).
Grading and Performance Rubrics. Retrieved from Carnegie Mellon: http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/rubrics.html
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