Take 2 for Teaching & Learning - Beyond the Grade: Using Rubrics to Support Learning

Rubrics, which provide structured criteria for evaluating assignments, are highly beneficial in higher education classrooms. By helping instructors clearly communicate expectations, consistently assess student work, and provide meaningful feedback, rubrics make grading more transparent and equitable. 

Using rubrics is beneficial for both instructors and students. For faculty, they streamline the grading process and support fairness by minimizing subjectivity. For students, they transform assessment into learning opportunities when shared early, clarifying what high-quality work looks like and allowing self-assessment and revision before submission. 

To get started, you don’t have to create a rubric from scratch. Instead, instructors can adapt an existing rubric or use a template. Another option for creating a rubric might also involve AI; AI tools are quite efficient at creating rubrics or modifying existing rubrics per user-entered parameters.  

Next, as the assignment criteria for which you plan to assess are identified (grammar, adherence to assignment instructions, or task-specific behaviors), it is then time to assign point values or credit allocations to those criteria. The two most common types of rubrics, analytics, and holistic, do this differently, but effectively. Analytic rubrics break down an assignment into separate criteria, assigning individual scores that can be totaled for a final grade. Holistic rubrics, by contrast, assess overall performance with a single score while still referencing key criteria.   

Independent of the rubric type, effective rubrics align measurable criteria with learning outcomes and define clear performance ranges such as “excellent,” “good,” or “unsatisfactory.” Each level should correspond to a numerical scale to ensure consistent evaluation. Rubrics should also be revised and refined after each use to enhance clarity and effectiveness. 

In summary, when thoughtfully designed, rubrics serve as powerful teaching and learning tools that promote transparency, consistency, and student growth. 

References: 

Center for Teaching Innovation. (n.d.). Rubric building guidelines. Retrieved from https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/rubric-development-guidelines 

Brookhart, S.M. (2013). How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/112001/chapters/What-Are-Rubrics-and-Why-Are-They-Important%C2%A2.aspx  

Fox, J. (2011). “Why are we doing this?” Establishing relevance to enhance student learning. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/why-are-we-doing-this-establishing-relevance-to-enhance-student-learning/ 

Gonzalez, J. (2014). Know your terms: Holistic. Analytic. Single-point rubrics. Cult of Pedagogy. Retrieved from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/holistic-analytic-single-point-rubrics 

Gooblar, D. (2014). Why I don’t like rubrics. ChronicleVitae. Retrieved from https://chroniclevitae.com/news/742-why-i-don-t-like-rubrics 

Harrison, B. (2017, January). Using rubrics to streamline grading. Workshop presented at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI. 

University of California- Berkeley. (n.d.). Center for Teaching and Learning: Rubrics. Retrieved from https://teaching.berkeley.edu/resources/improve/evaluate-course-level-learning/rubrics