Are grading rubrics worth and time and effort to put them together? Are we micromanaging our students? Are we getting a little obsessive-compulsive about this? Or are rubrics of great values to our learners?
I vote yes to all of the above. As defined by Brookhart (2013, para 4), “A rubric is a coherent set of criteria for students’ work that includes descriptions of levels of performance quality on the criteria.” The rubric should clearly spell out choices and consequences, and expectations. Brookhart further describes two critical elements to a rubric (para 4): “coherent sets of criteria and descriptions of levels of performance.”
There are several advantages to grading rubrics for both instructors and students (Carnegie Mellon University, para 2). First, grading by publicized explicit, descriptive criteria assures (as much as possible) consistency in grading, and reflects weighted importance of objectives. A grading rubric is also very beneficial when more than one grader is grading assignments. Students also value a detailed rubric; this helps them to prepare accordingly for any assessment activity.
If we use solid principles of instructional systems development (e.g., an ADDIE model), the development of learning objectives should actually drive the development of the grading rubric. This stuff really does work, and comes full circle!
Brookhart, S. (2013). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important¢.aspx
Rubrics - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/rubrics.html
I vote yes to all of the above. As defined by Brookhart (2013, para 4), “A rubric is a coherent set of criteria for students’ work that includes descriptions of levels of performance quality on the criteria.” The rubric should clearly spell out choices and consequences, and expectations. Brookhart further describes two critical elements to a rubric (para 4): “coherent sets of criteria and descriptions of levels of performance.”
There are several advantages to grading rubrics for both instructors and students (Carnegie Mellon University, para 2). First, grading by publicized explicit, descriptive criteria assures (as much as possible) consistency in grading, and reflects weighted importance of objectives. A grading rubric is also very beneficial when more than one grader is grading assignments. Students also value a detailed rubric; this helps them to prepare accordingly for any assessment activity.
If we use solid principles of instructional systems development (e.g., an ADDIE model), the development of learning objectives should actually drive the development of the grading rubric. This stuff really does work, and comes full circle!
Brookhart, S. (2013). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important¢.aspx
Rubrics - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/rubrics.html
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