(This article by Ms. Diana G Hombal was originally published by Verito Today (An independent & apolitical media house) on July 8th, 2023. It can be found at - https://verito.today/index.php/2023/07/08/role-of-rubrics-in-evaluating-the-progress-of-learning/ )
Let's ask a few questions about learning and assessments before we gain a better understanding of rubrics.
(1) What's the fundamental objective of all types of learning?
(2) How do we measure the impact of learning?
(3) How do grades help in evaluating the learning experience?
All of these questions emphasize that the value of learning lies in demonstrating what is being learned. There are many different assessment techniques, including tests, quizzes, essays, projects, portfolios, reflections, reports and surveys etc., that can be used to gauge student learning. If used properly, these assessment techniques can offer valuable information to enhance student learning. But, are the pupils provided with the scales on how they are graded or are their teachers left to make the ultimate decision? In this article, we plan to explore the role of well created rubrics in assessing the knowledge gained and its many uses.
Let's take an example.
A student studying in the 8th grade has spent hours working on her essay writing project - 'Artificial Intelligence'. She receives a 'B' on her written piece with no other comments. She expresses her concern that she met the project guidelines and asked her teacher what she could have done to get an 'A'.
The teacher goes to respond as 'I reserve the 'A' for a highly creative project'. When asked for an example, the teacher replies, 'well you could have presented it from the point of view of the development of Artificial Intelligence, its uses and the limitations.'
What happened in this above example..? - There were no explicit performance criteria to inform the student in creating the project or to guide the teacher in assessing them. A rubric could have certainly helped here. Anytime the criteria is ambiguous, the assessment grading will most likely seem arbitrary.
What is a Rubric
A rubric is an evaluation instrument that clearly states the requirements for student work and specifies the degrees of quality for each requirement.
Rubrics have distinct characteristics compared to other types of assessment tools (such checklists and grading scales). Rubrics include both definitions of the criteria and the associated performance levels.
A rubric outlines expectations for student work by outlining criteria for the work and performance level descriptions along a continuum of quality (1) (Andrade, 2000; Arter and Chappuis, 2006).
So, again referring to our example shared at the start of this article, if the teacher had designed a rubric and shared it with her class; this could help the teacher evaluate the performance in a given outcome area based on a list of criteria describing various levels of accomplishment.
Uses of Rubrics
When we are evaluating complex competencies, scoring and grading with credibility is crucial. The rubrics lays out the set of criteria or dimensions of quality for a particular performance, before an assessment. This helps in making an impartial evaluation which is reliable and credible.
Students can reflect on their own work and receive thoughtful feedback on their strengths and flaws through a rubric.
Rubrics can be used as a mechanism to outline and communicate the expectations of a project/work/performance to students.
It can also act as a grading sheet which is only used by teachers, to evaluate student work accurately and fairly.
Many people advocate the use of rubrics, especially instructional rubrics since they offer valuable insight about students' areas of strength and ultimately assist learning, encourage smart thinking, and advance the development of knowledge and skills required for accomplishing a task or project.
Sample Rubric
ASSIGNED ESSAY RUBRIC
Use: This rubric is intended for grading an assigned personal response essay with three writing prompts and a 500 word limit. The student has the opportunity to work on the rubric outside of class with explicit instructions that the essay is graded on content and writing. The grading point value is 14 points.
| Criteria | Accomplished | Competent | Developing | Beginning |
| Response to Essay Question Writing Prompts (content) | Written response addresses all essay question writing prompts clearly and directly. | Written response addresses at least 2 of 3 essay writing prompts clearly and directly. | Response to writing prompts is unclear or vague and/or addresses only one writing prompt in a clear, direct manner. | Response lacks any comprehension of the essay question or appears to address a different essay question. No essay response provided. |
| Quality and Clarity of Thought (content) | Response indicates depth and complexity of thought in answering the essay question. | Response indicates simplistic or repetitive thoughts in answering the essay question. | Response lacks focus or demonstrates confused or conflicting thinking. | Response is unfocused, illogical or incoherent. No essay response provided. |
| Organization & Development of Ideas (writing) | Response is well organized and developed with appropriate support to make meaning clear (well-chosen examples). | Response is organized and developed with general supporting ideas provided (reasons/general examples) | Response is fairly organized and developed, presenting generalizations without adequate support. | Response is disorganized and underdeveloped, providing little or no relevant support. No essay response provided. |
| Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (writing) | Response is free from any errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 3 or less errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 4-5 errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 6 or more errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. No essay response provided. |
| Category | Accomplished | Competent | Developing | Beginning |
| A. Response to Essay Question Writing Prompts (content) | Written response addresses all essay question writing prompts clearly and directly. | Written response addresses at least 2 of 3 essay writing prompts clearly and directly. | Response to writing prompts is unclear or vague and/or addresses only one writing prompt in a clear, direct manner. | Response lacks any comprehension of the essay question or appears to address a different essay question. No essay response provided. |
| B. Quality and Clarity of Thought (content) | Response indicates depth and complexity of thought in answering the essay question. | Response indicates simplistic or repetitive thoughts in answering the essay question. | Response lacks focus or demonstrates confused or conflicting thinking. | Response is unfocused, illogical or incoherent. No essay response provided. |
| D. Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (writing) | Response is free from any errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 3 or less errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 4-5 errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. | Response has 6 or more errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. No essay response provided. |
Source : https://www.stockton.edu/academic-assessment/documents/rubrics/KLEIN-essay-rubrics.docx
(1) Andrade, H. G. (2000). Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. Educational Leadership 57, 13–18. Available online at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb00/vol57/num05/Using-Rubrics-to-Promote-Thinking-and-Learning.aspx