Why are Rubrics helpful?
Rubrics are multi-dimensional scoring guidelines that can be used to provide consistency in evaluating student work. They spell-out the scoring criteria so that multiple teachers, using the same rubric for a student's essay, for example, would arrive at the same score or grade. Likewise, rubrics help an individual instructor stay consistent when grading different students and at different times.
Where can you use a Rubric?
You can attach a rubric to any of the following course tools or activities:
- Competencies
- Discussion topics
- Dropbox submission folders
- eLearn ePortfolio
- Grade items
- Quizzes
- Surveys
Create a Rubric
- On the navbar, click Evaluation and select Rubrics.
- On the Rubrics page, click New Rubric.
- Enter a Name for your rubric.
- Choose the appropriate rubric type from the Type drop-down menu:
- Analytic Rubrics
Most rubrics are analytic. An analytic rubric breaks performance into multiple criteria. You assess each criterion separately, resulting in an overall assessment score.
For example, an analytic rubric for assessing essays could have separate criteria for spelling, grammar, and expression. Each criterion can be assessed as poor, good, or excellent, resulting in an overall assessment that adequately evaluates performance.
If you choose an analytic rubric you will set the number of levels and the number of criteria. You will also choose a scoring method. Once you've selected this you cannot change the method (you can change the point value). If you choose "custom points", it gives you the most flexibility.
- Holistic Rubrics
Holistic rubrics provide a single criterion. You can also assess holistic rubrics using percent scores that are set for each rubric level. If you choose a holistic rubric you will set your number of levels.
- Choose the appropriate Scoring type:
- Analytic Scoring: Points results in each rubric level having the same score for each criterion.
- Analytic Scoring: Custom Points provides the ability to set unique point values for each level in each criterion.
- Holistic Scoring: Percentage results in each rubric level having a different percentage amount.
- Analytic or Holistic Scoring: No Score indicates that no point values are set.
- Click New Criterion to enter the criterion name, enter a rubric Level, and enter the point level. (Note: You can add up to 500 characters to the description of each criterion.)
- Do any of the following optional steps:
- If you want to add more rubric levels, click the Add new level before (+) button.
- If you want to delete existing rubric levels, click the trash bin icon.
- If you want to add more criteria, click + Add Criterion and enter the criterion name.
- If you want to delete existing criteria, click Delete Row.
- Add a description of each criterion Level, as well as Initial Feedback for that level that will be applied when assessing student submissions.
- Adjust the Overall Score parameters to determine the overall level and score that is mapped to achievement levels and assigned to students based on their submission.
- Click to expand Options, and customize the following:
- Rubric Visibility
- Score Visibility
- Description
- Advanced Availability
- Click Close to finish creating your rubric.
Additional Information
When creating rubrics, the score and description are critical. Adding feedback helps to speed up your grading process. You can still individualize your response, but the text you put in the feedback box can provide a good starting spot for feedback. The below image is another sample of what one criterion could look like. It is from an older eLearn interface, but depicts conveying detailed information to the students.
Video Example: Create a Rubric
The following video demonstrates how to create a rubric. Run time 2:26.