rubrics for homework

Rubric Best Practices, Examples, and Templates

A rubric is a scoring tool that identifies the different criteria relevant to an assignment, assessment, or learning outcome and states the possible levels of achievement in a specific, clear, and objective way. Use rubrics to assess project-based student work including essays, group projects, creative endeavors, and oral presentations.

Rubrics can help instructors communicate expectations to students and assess student work fairly, consistently and efficiently. Rubrics can provide students with informative feedback on their strengths and weaknesses so that they can reflect on their performance and work on areas that need improvement.

How to Get Started

Best practices, moodle how-to guides.

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Step 1: Analyze the assignment

The first step in the rubric creation process is to analyze the assignment or assessment for which you are creating a rubric. To do this, consider the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the assignment and your feedback? What do you want students to demonstrate through the completion of this assignment (i.e. what are the learning objectives measured by it)? Is it a summative assessment, or will students use the feedback to create an improved product?
• Does the assignment break down into different or smaller tasks? Are these tasks equally important as the main assignment?
• What would an “excellent” assignment look like? An “acceptable” assignment? One that still needs major work?
• How detailed do you want the feedback you give students to be? Do you want/need to give them a grade?

Step 2: Decide what kind of rubric you will use

Types of rubrics: holistic, analytic/descriptive, single-point

Holistic Rubric. A holistic rubric includes all the criteria (such as clarity, organization, mechanics, etc.) to be considered together and included in a single evaluation. With a holistic rubric, the rater or grader assigns a single score based on an overall judgment of the student’s work, using descriptions of each performance level to assign the score.

Advantages of holistic rubrics:

• Can p lace an emphasis on what learners can demonstrate rather than what they cannot
• Save grader time by minimizing the number of evaluations to be made for each student
• Can be used consistently across raters, provided they have all been trained

Disadvantages of holistic rubrics:

• Provide less specific feedback than analytic/descriptive rubrics
• Can be difficult to choose a score when a student’s work is at varying levels across the criteria
• Any weighting of c riteria cannot be indicated in the rubric

Analytic/Descriptive Rubric . An analytic or descriptive rubric often takes the form of a table with the criteria listed in the left column and with levels of performance listed across the top row. Each cell contains a description of what the specified criterion looks like at a given level of performance. Each of the criteria is scored individually.

Advantages of analytic rubrics:

• Provide detailed feedback on areas of strength or weakness
• Each criterion can be weighted to reflect its relative importance

Disadvantages of analytic rubrics:

• More time-consuming to create and use than a holistic rubric
• May not be used consistently across raters unless the cells are well defined
• May result in giving less personalized feedback

Single-Point Rubric . A single-point rubric is breaks down the components of an assignment into different criteria, but instead of describing different levels of performance, only the “proficient” level is described. Feedback space is provided for instructors to give individualized comments to help students improve and/or show where they excelled beyond the proficiency descriptors.

Advantages of single-point rubrics:

• Easier to create than an analytic/descriptive rubric
• Perhaps more likely that students will read the descriptors
• Areas of concern and excellence are open-ended
• May removes a focus on the grade/points
• May increase student creativity in project-based assignments

Disadvantage of analytic rubrics: Requires more work for instructors writing feedback

Step 3 (Optional): Look for templates and examples.

You might Google, “Rubric for persuasive essay at the college level” and see if there are any publicly available examples to start from. Ask your colleagues if they have used a rubric for a similar assignment. Some examples are also available at the end of this article. These rubrics can be a great starting point for you, but consider steps 3, 4, and 5 below to ensure that the rubric matches your assignment description, learning objectives and expectations.

Step 4: Define the assignment criteria

Make a list of the knowledge and skills are you measuring with the assignment/assessment Refer to your stated learning objectives, the assignment instructions, past examples of student work, etc. for help.

  Helpful strategies for defining grading criteria:

• Collaborate with co-instructors, teaching assistants, and other colleagues
• Brainstorm and discuss with students
• Can they be observed and measured?
• Are they important and essential?
• Are they distinct from other criteria?
• Are they phrased in precise, unambiguous language?
• Revise the criteria as needed
• Consider whether some are more important than others, and how you will weight them.

Step 5: Design the rating scale

Most ratings scales include between 3 and 5 levels. Consider the following questions when designing your rating scale:

• Given what students are able to demonstrate in this assignment/assessment, what are the possible levels of achievement?
• How many levels would you like to include (more levels means more detailed descriptions)
• Will you use numbers and/or descriptive labels for each level of performance? (for example 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and/or Exceeds expectations, Accomplished, Proficient, Developing, Beginning, etc.)
• Don’t use too many columns, and recognize that some criteria can have more columns that others . The rubric needs to be comprehensible and organized. Pick the right amount of columns so that the criteria flow logically and naturally across levels.

Step 6: Write descriptions for each level of the rating scale

Artificial Intelligence tools like Chat GPT have proven to be useful tools for creating a rubric. You will want to engineer your prompt that you provide the AI assistant to ensure you get what you want. For example, you might provide the assignment description, the criteria you feel are important, and the number of levels of performance you want in your prompt. Use the results as a starting point, and adjust the descriptions as needed.

Building a rubric from scratch

For a single-point rubric , describe what would be considered “proficient,” i.e. B-level work, and provide that description. You might also include suggestions for students outside of the actual rubric about how they might surpass proficient-level work.

For analytic and holistic rubrics , c reate statements of expected performance at each level of the rubric.

• Consider what descriptor is appropriate for each criteria, e.g., presence vs absence, complete vs incomplete, many vs none, major vs minor, consistent vs inconsistent, always vs never. If you have an indicator described in one level, it will need to be described in each level.
• You might start with the top/exemplary level. What does it look like when a student has achieved excellence for each/every criterion? Then, look at the “bottom” level. What does it look like when a student has not achieved the learning goals in any way? Then, complete the in-between levels.
• For an analytic rubric , do this for each particular criterion of the rubric so that every cell in the table is filled. These descriptions help students understand your expectations and their performance in regard to those expectations.

Well-written descriptions:

• Describe observable and measurable behavior
• Use parallel language across the scale
• Indicate the degree to which the standards are met

Step 7: Create your rubric

Create your rubric in a table or spreadsheet in Word, Google Docs, Sheets, etc., and then transfer it by typing it into Moodle. You can also use online tools to create the rubric, but you will still have to type the criteria, indicators, levels, etc., into Moodle. Rubric creators: Rubistar , iRubric

Step 8: Pilot-test your rubric

Prior to implementing your rubric on a live course, obtain feedback from:

• Teacher assistants

Try out your new rubric on a sample of student work. After you pilot-test your rubric, analyze the results to consider its effectiveness and revise accordingly.

• Limit the rubric to a single page for reading and grading ease
• Use parallel language . Use similar language and syntax/wording from column to column. Make sure that the rubric can be easily read from left to right or vice versa.
• Use student-friendly language . Make sure the language is learning-level appropriate. If you use academic language or concepts, you will need to teach those concepts.
• Share and discuss the rubric with your students . Students should understand that the rubric is there to help them learn, reflect, and self-assess. If students use a rubric, they will understand the expectations and their relevance to learning.
• Consider scalability and reusability of rubrics. Create rubric templates that you can alter as needed for multiple assignments.
• Maximize the descriptiveness of your language. Avoid words like “good” and “excellent.” For example, instead of saying, “uses excellent sources,” you might describe what makes a resource excellent so that students will know. You might also consider reducing the reliance on quantity, such as a number of allowable misspelled words. Focus instead, for example, on how distracting any spelling errors are.

Example of an analytic rubric for a final paper

Example of a holistic rubric for a final paper, single-point rubric, more examples:.

• Single Point Rubric Template ( variation )
• Analytic Rubric Template make a copy to edit
• A Rubric for Rubrics
• Bank of Online Discussion Rubrics in different formats
• Mathematical Presentations Descriptive Rubric
• Math Proof Assessment Rubric
• Kansas State Sample Rubrics
• Design Single Point Rubric

Technology Tools: Rubrics in Moodle

• Moodle Docs: Rubrics
• Moodle Docs: Grading Guide (use for single-point rubrics)

Tools with rubrics (other than Moodle)

• Google Assignments
• Turnitin Assignments: Rubric or Grading Form

Other resources

• DePaul University (n.d.). Rubrics .
• Gonzalez, J. (2014). Know your terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics . Cult of Pedagogy.
• Goodrich, H. (1996). Understanding rubrics . Teaching for Authentic Student Performance, 54 (4), 14-17. Retrieved from   
• Miller, A. (2012). Tame the beast: tips for designing and using rubrics.
• Ragupathi, K., Lee, A. (2020). Beyond Fairness and Consistency in Grading: The Role of Rubrics in Higher Education. In: Sanger, C., Gleason, N. (eds) Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

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15 Helpful Scoring Rubric Examples for All Grades and Subjects

In the end, they actually make grading easier.

When it comes to student assessment and evaluation, there are a lot of methods to consider. In some cases, testing is the best way to assess a student’s knowledge, and the answers are either right or wrong. But often, assessing a student’s performance is much less clear-cut. In these situations, a scoring rubric is often the way to go, especially if you’re using standards-based grading . Here’s what you need to know about this useful tool, along with lots of rubric examples to get you started.

What is a scoring rubric?

In the United States, a rubric is a guide that lays out the performance expectations for an assignment. It helps students understand what’s required of them, and guides teachers through the evaluation process. (Note that in other countries, the term “rubric” may instead refer to the set of instructions at the beginning of an exam. To avoid confusion, some people use the term “scoring rubric” instead.)

A rubric generally has three parts:

• Performance criteria: These are the various aspects on which the assignment will be evaluated. They should align with the desired learning outcomes for the assignment.
• Rating scale: This could be a number system (often 1 to 4) or words like “exceeds expectations, meets expectations, below expectations,” etc.
• Indicators: These describe the qualities needed to earn a specific rating for each of the performance criteria. The level of detail may vary depending on the assignment and the purpose of the rubric itself.

Rubrics take more time to develop up front, but they help ensure more consistent assessment, especially when the skills being assessed are more subjective. A well-developed rubric can actually save teachers a lot of time when it comes to grading. What’s more, sharing your scoring rubric with students in advance often helps improve performance . This way, students have a clear picture of what’s expected of them and what they need to do to achieve a specific grade or performance rating.

Learn more about why and how to use a rubric here.

Types of Rubric

There are three basic rubric categories, each with its own purpose.

Holistic Rubric

Source: Cambrian College

This type of rubric combines all the scoring criteria in a single scale. They’re quick to create and use, but they have drawbacks. If a student’s work spans different levels, it can be difficult to decide which score to assign. They also make it harder to provide feedback on specific aspects.

Traditional letter grades are a type of holistic rubric. So are the popular “hamburger rubric” and “ cupcake rubric ” examples. Learn more about holistic rubrics here.

Analytic Rubric

Source: University of Nebraska

Analytic rubrics are much more complex and generally take a great deal more time up front to design. They include specific details of the expected learning outcomes, and descriptions of what criteria are required to meet various performance ratings in each. Each rating is assigned a point value, and the total number of points earned determines the overall grade for the assignment.

Though they’re more time-intensive to create, analytic rubrics actually save time while grading. Teachers can simply circle or highlight any relevant phrases in each rating, and add a comment or two if needed. They also help ensure consistency in grading, and make it much easier for students to understand what’s expected of them.

Learn more about analytic rubrics here.

Developmental Rubric

Source: Deb’s Data Digest

A developmental rubric is a type of analytic rubric, but it’s used to assess progress along the way rather than determining a final score on an assignment. The details in these rubrics help students understand their achievements, as well as highlight the specific skills they still need to improve.

Developmental rubrics are essentially a subset of analytic rubrics. They leave off the point values, though, and focus instead on giving feedback using the criteria and indicators of performance.

Learn how to use developmental rubrics here.

Ready to create your own rubrics? Find general tips on designing rubrics here. Then, check out these examples across all grades and subjects to inspire you.

Elementary School Rubric Examples

These elementary school rubric examples come from real teachers who use them with their students. Adapt them to fit your needs and grade level.

Reading Fluency Rubric

You can use this one as an analytic rubric by counting up points to earn a final score, or just to provide developmental feedback. There’s a second rubric page available specifically to assess prosody (reading with expression).

Learn more: Teacher Thrive

Reading Comprehension Rubric

The nice thing about this rubric is that you can use it at any grade level, for any text. If you like this style, you can get a reading fluency rubric here too.

Learn more: Pawprints Resource Center

Written Response Rubric

Rubrics aren’t just for huge projects. They can also help kids work on very specific skills, like this one for improving written responses on assessments.

Learn more: Dianna Radcliffe: Teaching Upper Elementary and More

Interactive Notebook Rubric

If you use interactive notebooks as a learning tool , this rubric can help kids stay on track and meet your expectations.

Learn more: Classroom Nook

Project Rubric

Use this simple rubric as it is, or tweak it to include more specific indicators for the project you have in mind.

Learn more: Tales of a Title One Teacher

Behavior Rubric

Developmental rubrics are perfect for assessing behavior and helping students identify opportunities for improvement. Send these home regularly to keep parents in the loop.

Learn more: Teachers.net Gazette

Middle School Rubric Examples

In middle school, use rubrics to offer detailed feedback on projects, presentations, and more. Be sure to share them with students in advance, and encourage them to use them as they work so they’ll know if they’re meeting expectations.

Argumentative Writing Rubric

Argumentative writing is a part of language arts, social studies, science, and more. That makes this rubric especially useful.

Learn more: Dr. Caitlyn Tucker

Role-Play Rubric

Role-plays can be really useful when teaching social and critical thinking skills, but it’s hard to assess them. Try a rubric like this one to evaluate and provide useful feedback.

Learn more: A Question of Influence

Art Project Rubric

Art is one of those subjects where grading can feel very subjective. Bring some objectivity to the process with a rubric like this.

Source: Art Ed Guru

Diorama Project Rubric

You can use diorama projects in almost any subject, and they’re a great chance to encourage creativity. Simplify the grading process and help kids know how to make their projects shine with this scoring rubric.

Learn more: Historyourstory.com

Oral Presentation Rubric

Rubrics are terrific for grading presentations, since you can include a variety of skills and other criteria. Consider letting students use a rubric like this to offer peer feedback too.

Learn more: Bright Hub Education

High School Rubric Examples

In high school, it’s important to include your grading rubrics when you give assignments like presentations, research projects, or essays. Kids who go on to college will definitely encounter rubrics, so helping them become familiar with them now will help in the future.

Presentation Rubric

Analyze a student’s presentation both for content and communication skills with a rubric like this one. If needed, create a separate one for content knowledge with even more criteria and indicators.

Learn more: Michael A. Pena Jr.

Debate Rubric

Debate is a valuable learning tool that encourages critical thinking and oral communication skills. This rubric can help you assess those skills objectively.

Learn more: Education World

Project-Based Learning Rubric

Implementing project-based learning can be time-intensive, but the payoffs are worth it. Try this rubric to make student expectations clear and end-of-project assessment easier.

Learn more: Free Technology for Teachers

100-Point Essay Rubric

Need an easy way to convert a scoring rubric to a letter grade? This example for essay writing earns students a final score out of 100 points.

Learn more: Learn for Your Life

Drama Performance Rubric

If you’re unsure how to grade a student’s participation and performance in drama class, consider this example. It offers lots of objective criteria and indicators to evaluate.

Learn more: Chase March

How do you use rubrics in your classroom? Come share your thoughts and exchange ideas in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 25 of the best alternative assessment ideas ..

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Sample Grading Rubrics: Create Clear Homework Rubrics For Your Class

• Trent Lorcher
• Categories : Teaching methods, tips & strategies
• Tags : Teaching methods, tools & strategies

When Mr. Blockington started stabbing random teachers at the in-service, I headed to my classroom and locked the door. The pro-homework faction had begun an assault on the anti-homework faction at my school. Both sides had attempted to win me over during the

preceding month, but I was non-committal. I declared myself a homework agnostic. I assigned it, but only if it had a purpose. To establish my purpose I constructed clearly defined homework rubrics. I used different ones depending on the nature of the assignment, whether it were a summative assignment or meant for practice.

Where do you stand in the war? Ah, well regardless, having a clearly defined rubric is a must for your classroom.

Grading Rubrics

Homework fulfills different purposes depending on the assignment, the teacher, and the course. Grading rubrics will help assess assignments according to its nature, be it summative or practice. Here are potential criteria for a student’s work:

Homework must be:

• Has the proper heading.
• Neat and free of blemishes.
• Turned in on time.
• Shows all necessary work, steps, and procedures.
• Written clearly and is free of errors.
• Accurate and detailed.
• Has correct solutions.
• Identifies all aspects of a problem.
• Typed or printed neatly.
• Shows in depth understanding of the material.
• Answers give a complete response.
• Shows (a lack of) understanding.
• Does (not) show the correct solution.
• Does (not) show designated steps.

Reading Rubrics

I discovered early that students don’t always read the assignments for homework. I also discovered that some students who read didn’t really know what to look for, so I came up with a homework-reading rubric to help. The student should be able to:

• Identify important details from the reading.
• Retell the story’s main events.
• Retell the story in chronological order.
• Define important terms from the story using context clues , prior knowledge, or from a dictionary.
• Complete a story map.

This post is part of the series: Effective Teaching Methods

Work smarter not harder.

• Effective Teaching Methods
• Strategies for Reading Expository Texts
• Techniques and Ideas for Teaching Drama
• Teaching Methods on How to Lecture without Losing Control of the Class?
• Design Your Own Homework Rubric

Rubrics: Useful Assessment Tool

Rubrics can be excellent tools to use when assessing students’ work for several reasons. You might consider developing and using rubrics if:

• You find yourself re-writing the same comments on several different students’ assignments.
• Your marking load is high, and writing out comments takes up a lot of your time.
• Students repeatedly question you about the assignment requirements, even after you’ve handed back the marked assignment.
• You want to address the specific components of your marking scheme for student and instructor use both prior to and following the assignment submission.
• You find yourself wondering if you are grading or commenting equitably at the beginning, middle, and end of a grading session.
• You have a team of graders and wish to ensure validity and inter-rater reliability.

What is a rubric?

A rubric is an assessment tool that clearly indicates achievement criteria across all the components of any kind of student work, from written to oral to visual. It can be used for marking assignments, class participation, or overall grades. There are two types of rubrics: holistic and analytical.

Holistic rubrics

Holistic rubrics group several different assessment criteria and classify them together under grade headings or achievement levels.

For a sample participation rubric, see the  Appendix  of this teaching tip. Our CTE Teaching Tip:  Responding to Writing Assignments  includes holistic rubrics specifically designed for writing assignments. 

Analytic rubrics 

Analytic rubrics separate different assessment criteria and address them comprehensively. In a horizontal assessment rubric, the top axis includes values that can be expressed either numerically or by letter grade, or a scale from Exceptional to Poor (or Professional to Amateur, and so on). The side axis includes the assessment criteria for each component. Analytic rubrics can also permit different weightings for different components.

See the VALUE Rubrics  developed by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. They have open-access rubrics for 16 cross-cutting learning outcomes including creative thinking, teamwork, and written communication.

How to make a rubric

• Criteria:  decide what criteria or essential elements must be present in the student’s work to ensure that it is high in quality. At this stage, you might even consider selecting samples of exemplary student work that can be shown to students when setting assignments.
• Levels:  decide how many levels of achievement you will include on the rubric and how they will relate to your institution's definition of grades as well as your own grading scheme.
• Description: for each criterion, component, or essential element of quality, describe in detail what the performance at each achievement level looks like.
• Additional comments:  Leave space for additional, tailored comments or overall impressions and a final grade.

Developing rubrics interactively with your students

You can enhance students’ learning experience by involving them in the rubric development process. Either as a class or in small groups, students decide upon criteria for grading the assignment. It would be helpful to provide students with samples of exemplary work so they could identify the criteria with greater ease. In such an activity, the instructor functions as facilitator, guiding the students toward the final goal of a rubric that can be used on their assignment. This activity not only results in a greater learning experience, it also enables students to feel a greater sense of ownership and inclusion in the decision making process.

How to use rubrics effectively

Develop a different rubric for each assignment .

Although this takes time in the beginning, you’ll find that rubrics can be changed slightly or re-used later.  If you are seeking pre-existing rubrics, consider Rhodes (2009) or the VALUE rubrics . Whether you develop your own or use an existing rubric, practice with any other graders in your course to achieve inter-rater reliability.

Be transparent

Give students a copy of the rubric when you assign the performance task. These are not meant to be surprise criteria. Hand the rubric back with the assignment.

Integrate rubrics into assignments

Require students to include the rubric in their assignment file when they hand it in. Some instructors ask students to self-assess or give peer feedback using the rubric prior to handing in the work. 

Leverage rubrics to manage your time

Highlight the achieved level of performance for each criterion on the rubric. This is where you will save a great deal of time, as no comments are required.

Include any additional specific or overall comments that do not fit within the rubric’s criteria.

Be prepared to revise your rubrics

Decide upon a final grade for the assignment based on the rubric. If you find, as some do, that presented work meets criteria on the rubric but nevertheless seems to have exceeded or not met the overall qualities you’re seeking, revise the rubric accordingly for the next time you teach the course. If the work achieves highly in some areas of the rubric but not in others, decide in advance how the assignment grade is actually derived. Some use a formula, or multiplier, to give different weightings to various components; be explicit about this right on the rubric. 

Consider developing interactive online rubrics in LEARN

While you can share your rubric as a PDF, you can also use our learning management system (LEARN) to create an interactive rubric. These rubrics are built in LEARN and can be linked to your discussion or dropbox to improve the grading process.  The scores from these rubrics are automatically entered into the associated grade item in your grade book. See Rubrics in the LEARN Help Knowledge Base for detailed how-to information.

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

• Rhodes, T. (2009).  Assessing outcomes and improving achievement: Tips and tools for using the rubrics . Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

CTE teaching tips

• Responding to Writing Assignments: Managing the Paper Load
• Rubrics for Assessing Concept Maps

Other resources

• Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE rubrics
• Huba, M. E., & Freed, J.E. (2000). Using rubrics to provide feedback to students. In  Learner-centered assessment on college campuses  (pp. 151-200). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 
• iRubric : an online rubric design system for using, adapting, creating, and sharing rubrics. 
• Lewis, R., Berghoff, P., & Pheeney, P. (1999). Focusing students: Three approaches for learning through evaluation.  Innovative Higher Education, 23 (3), 181-196.
• Luft, J. A. (1999). Rubrics: Design and use in science teacher education.  Journal of Science Teacher Education, 10( 2), 107-121.
• Stevens, D. & Levi, A. (2013). Introduction to rubrics: An assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective feedback, and promote student learning (2 nd  ed.). Virginia: Sylus. 
• Stevens, D., & Levi, A.  Introduction to rubrics companion site .
• Queen's University. (n.d.). Types of rubrics: holistic and analytic

Appendix: sample holistic participation rubric

• Always prepared and attends nearly every class
• Participates constructively in class, models leadership for others and on teams
• Exhibits preparedness and punctuality in class/class work
• Demonstrates initiative and improvement without prompting
• Seeks to understand and acknowledge others’ thoughts
• Often reaches full potential by challenging self
• Exceptional content knowledge readily integrated into new problems or settings
• Challenges his/her own thoughts and ideas
• Usually prepared and attends most classes
• Participates constructively in class, works well with others, and is a team player
• Excellent content knowledge
• Completes all class assignments; occasionally adds something extra
• Demonstrates initiative and improvement with some prompting
• Stretches to reach full potential when prompted
• Open to challenges to thoughts and ideas from others
• Sometimes prepared and attends many classes
• Average content knowledge
• Occasionally or only challenges thought when encouraged by others
• Assignments reflect average work
• Sometimes an active participant in class; works fairly well with others
• Occasionally accepts and attends to challenges and feedback
• Rarely prepared and attends some classes
• Rarely participates constructively in class
• Assignments are late, incomplete, or not turned in at all
• Low level of content knowledge
• Inactive participant; works reluctantly with others
• Sometimes shows a close-minded disposition with regard to feedback and challenge
• Clearly unprepared and nearly always absent
• No participation or harmful participation
• No assignments turned in
• No assignments available to assess content knowledge
• Not present enough to judge participation and interaction, or undermining others
• Close-minded disposition with regard to feedback, challenge, and course content

Catalog search

Teaching tip categories.

• Assessment and feedback
• Blended Learning and Educational Technologies
• Career Development
• Course Design
• Course Implementation
• Inclusive Teaching and Learning
• Learning activities
• Support for Student Learning
• Support for TAs

Writing Rubrics

Samples of Basic, Expository, and Narrative Rubrics

• Grading Students for Assessment
• Lesson Plans
• Becoming A Teacher
• Assessments & Tests
• Elementary Education
• Special Education
• Homeschooling

Rubric Basics

How to score a rubric, basic writing rubric, narrative writing rubric, expository writing rubric.

• M.S., Education, Buffalo State College
• B.S., Education, Buffalo State College

An easy way to evaluate student writing is to create a rubric . A rubric is a scoring guide that helps teachers evaluate student performance as well as a student product or project. A writing rubric allows you, as a teacher, to help students improve their writing skills by determining what areas they need help in.

To get started in creating a rubric, you must:

• Read through the students' writing assignment completely.
• Read each criterion on the rubric and then reread the assignment, this time focusing on each feature of the rubric .
• Circle the appropriate section for each criterion listed. This will help you score the assignment at the end.
• Give the writing assignment a final score.

To learn how to turn a four-point rubric into a letter grade, use the basic writing rubric below as an example. The four-point rubric uses four potential points the student can earn for each area, such as 1) strong, 2) developing, 3) emerging, and 4) beginning. To turn your rubric score into a letter grade, divide the points earned by the points possible.

Example: The student earns 18 out of 20 points. 18/20 = 90 percent; 90 percent = A

Suggested Point Scale :

88-100 = A 75-87 = B 62-74 = C 50-61 = D 0-50 = F

• Sample Essay Rubric for Elementary Teachers
• Scoring Rubric for Students
• How to Make a Rubric for Differentiation
• Rubrics - Quick Guide for all Content Areas
• Tips to Cut Writing Assignment Grading Time
• Create Rubrics for Student Assessment - Step by Step
• Assignment Biography: Student Criteria and Rubric for Writing
• What Is a Rubric?
• ESL Essay Writing Rubric
• How to Create a Rubric in 6 Steps
• Rubric Template Samples for Teachers
• Grading for Proficiency in the World of 4.0 GPAs
• A Simple Guide to Grading Elementary Students
• How to Calculate a Percentage and Letter Grade
• How Dyslexia Impacts Writing Skills
• How Scaffolding Instruction Can Improve Comprehension

Center for Teaching Innovation

Resource library.

• AACU VALUE Rubrics

Using rubrics

A rubric is a type of scoring guide that assesses and articulates specific components and expectations for an assignment. Rubrics can be used for a variety of assignments: research papers, group projects, portfolios, and presentations.  

Why use rubrics? 

Rubrics help instructors: 

• Assess assignments consistently from student-to-student. 
• Save time in grading, both short-term and long-term. 
• Give timely, effective feedback and promote student learning in a sustainable way. 
• Clarify expectations and components of an assignment for both students and course teaching assistants (TAs). 
• Refine teaching methods by evaluating rubric results. 

Rubrics help students: 

• Understand expectations and components of an assignment. 
• Become more aware of their learning process and progress. 
• Improve work through timely and detailed feedback. 

Considerations for using rubrics 

When developing rubrics consider the following:

• Although it takes time to build a rubric, time will be saved in the long run as grading and providing feedback on student work will become more streamlined.  
• A rubric can be a fillable pdf that can easily be emailed to students. 
• They can be used for oral presentations. 
• They are a great tool to evaluate teamwork and individual contribution to group tasks. 
• Rubrics facilitate peer-review by setting evaluation standards. Have students use the rubric to provide peer assessment on various drafts. 
• Students can use them for self-assessment to improve personal performance and learning. Encourage students to use the rubrics to assess their own work. 
• Motivate students to improve their work by using rubric feedback to resubmit their work incorporating the feedback. 

Getting Started with Rubrics 

• Start small by creating one rubric for one assignment in a semester.  
• Ask colleagues if they have developed rubrics for similar assignments or adapt rubrics that are available online. For example, the  AACU has rubrics  for topics such as written and oral communication, critical thinking, and creative thinking. RubiStar helps you to develop your rubric based on templates.  
• Examine an assignment for your course. Outline the elements or critical attributes to be evaluated (these attributes must be objectively measurable). 
• Create an evaluative range for performance quality under each element; for instance, “excellent,” “good,” “unsatisfactory.” 
• Avoid using subjective or vague criteria such as “interesting” or “creative.” Instead, outline objective indicators that would fall under these categories. 
• The criteria must clearly differentiate one performance level from another. 
• Assign a numerical scale to each level. 
• Give a draft of the rubric to your colleagues and/or TAs for feedback. 
• Train students to use your rubric and solicit feedback. This will help you judge whether the rubric is clear to them and will identify any weaknesses. 
• Rework the rubric based on the feedback. 

Eberly Center

Teaching excellence & educational innovation, grading and performance rubrics, what are rubrics.

A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly represents the performance expectations for an assignment or piece of work. A rubric divides the assigned work into component parts and provides clear descriptions of the characteristics of the work associated with each component, at varying levels of mastery. Rubrics can be used for a wide array of assignments: papers, projects, oral presentations, artistic performances, group projects, etc. Rubrics can be used as scoring or grading guides, to provide formative feedback to support and guide ongoing learning efforts, or both.

Advantages of Using Rubrics

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.

Used more formatively, rubrics can help instructors get a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of their class. By recording the component scores and tallying up the number of students scoring below an acceptable level on each component, instructors can identify those skills or concepts that need more instructional time and student effort.

Grading rubrics are also valuable to students. A rubric can help instructors communicate to students the specific requirements and acceptable performance standards of an assignment. When rubrics are given to students with the assignment description, they can help students monitor and assess their progress as they work toward clearly indicated goals. When assignments are scored and returned with the rubric, students can more easily recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their work and direct their efforts accordingly.

Examples of Rubrics

Here are links to a diverse set of rubrics designed by Carnegie Mellon faculty and faculty at other institutions. Although your particular field of study and type of assessment activity may not be represented currently, viewing a rubric that is designed for a similar activity may provide you with ideas on how to divide your task into components and how to describe the varying levels of mastery.

Paper Assignments

• Example 1: Philosophy Paper This rubric was designed for student papers in a range of philosophy courses, CMU.
• Example 2: Psychology Assignment Short, concept application homework assignment in cognitive psychology, CMU.
• Example 3: Anthropology Writing Assignments This rubric was designed for a series of short writing assignments in anthropology, CMU.
• Example 4: History Research Paper . This rubric was designed for essays and research papers in history, CMU.
• Example 1: Capstone Project in Design This rubric describes the components and standard of performance from the research phase to the final presentation for a senior capstone project in the School of Design, CMU.
• Example 2: Engineering Design Project This rubric describes performance standards on three aspects of a team project: Research and Design, Communication, and Team Work.

Oral Presentations

• Example 1: Oral Exam This rubric describes a set of components and standards for assessing performance on an oral exam in an upper-division history course, CMU.
• Example 2: Oral Communication
• Example 3: Group Presentations This rubric describes a set of components and standards for assessing group presentations in a history course, CMU.

Class Participation/Contributions

• Example 1: Discussion Class This rubric assesses the quality of student contributions to class discussions. This is appropriate for an undergraduate-level course, CMU.
• Example 2: Advanced Seminar This rubric is designed for assessing discussion performance in an advanced undergraduate or graduate seminar. 

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A rubric is a tool for evaluating and grading student work; it specifies the qualities or traits to be evaluated in an assignment and describes excellent, average, and below-average performance for each trait. Typically, a rubric is not a generic statement of expectations for student work; rather, it is tailored to describe the specific requirements for a particular assignment.

While rubrics are commonly use to evaluate student written work such as essays and research papers, they can be used for other types of assignments as well, such as oral presentations, posters, portfolios, or major projects. Rubrics can also be used in group projects as a way for team members to evaluate each other's contributions to the final product.

Most rubrics include several parts:

• Traits: the qualities or aspects of student work to be evaluated. Traits are usually expressed as nouns or noun phrases (e.g., "thesis," "graphic design elements," "accuracy of analysis," "eye contact," "grammar and mechanics").
• Performance levels: the categories of performance into which student work will be assigned for a particular trait; for example, Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor; Exceeds/Meets/Fails to Meet Expectations, etc.
• Descriptors: Brief descriptions of student work on a particular trait at a specific performance level

Why use rubrics?

For instructors as well as for students, using a rubric to grade an assignment has a number of advantages. A rubric can:

• Guarantee that instructor use the same standards for all students' work, preventing grading "drift" over time
• Specify all traits to be evaluated in student work are specified – no "hidden agendas"
• Promote equity by ensuring that all students understand the criteria by which their work will be evaluated (for more on the use of rubrics as an aspect of transparency and equity in grading, see this CITL resource on Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)
• Serve as a training resource when multiple graders or AIs grade an assignment
• Make grading faster and more straightforward (although they require time to create)
• Decrease the number of student complaints about grades
• Can provide evidence on overall levels of student competence on particular traits to help instructors assess students' strengths and weaknesses, for their own information or as part of larger assessment efforts

What types of rubrics are there?

There are three general categories of rubrics: analytic, holistic, and single-point. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. In deciding what type of rubric to create, the main consideration should be the instructor's preference.

Analytic rubrics

An analytic rubric gives a student a separate rating or score on each trait evaluated in an assignment. An analytic rubric is typically organized in a grid, with each trait in a row and each performance level in a column. Each individual cell of the grid contains a descriptor with the characteristics of performance at that performance level on that trait.

• Time-consuming to create, but can make grading or scoring of student work easier and faster
• Gives students detailed feedback on various aspects of their work
• Can include point values for each trait and performance level to facilitate assigning numerical scores to student work
• Can be created within Canvas to simplify grading, using the the SpeedGrader tool

Holistic rubrics

Rather than evaluating each trait separately, as in an analytic rubric, a holistic rubric gives each student one overall score or grade for their work. A typical holistic rubric lists each level of performance followed by a description of student work at that level, incorporating descriptors for all the traits being evaluated. An instructor using a holistic rubric matches an entire piece of student work to the single rubric level that best describes the work.

• Easy to create, because it reflects how some instructors think
• Score or grade gives students less specific feedback on their work than an analytic rubric does
• A good option for large classes, or when only general feedback on student work is required

An essay earning an A:

• Answers the question thoroughly, in a nuanced and thoughtful way
• Uses all available sources of evidence; outside sources are clearly relevant to the topic
• Has a clear and convincing argument, that incorporates all sources of evidence effectively; addresses counterarguments
• Is well-organized, with a strong thesis statement and well-organized paragraphs with clear transitions and topic sentences
• Uses clear and polished phrasing, with only 1 or 2 grammatical errors

An essay earning a B:

• Answers the question clearly, but at a superficial level
• Uses all available sources of evidence; outside sources are relevant to the topic
• Has an argument that is mostly clear, but that may be vague in a few places; most evidence is used to support the argument well; counterarguments are not addressed
• Has a strong thesis statement and paragraphs that are mostly well-organized; one or two may lack clear transitions
• Uses clear phrasing, with one or 2 grammatical errors

An essay earning a C:

• Answers the question posed, but may ramble off-topic
• Uses all available sources of evidence; outside sources are marginally related to the topic
• Makes a fairly clear argument, but evidence is not used effectively to support it; argument may be thin in some places; counterarguments are not addressed
• Has a thesis statement that is adequate but not strong or comprehensive; paragraphs may occasionally jumble together several ideas; transitions weak or missing in some cases
• Includes a few distracting grammatical errors; some awkward phrasing

An essay earning a D:

• Does not address the question; may be reflect a misunderstanding of the topic
• Fails to use all sources of evidence; outside sources may be missing or irrelevant
• Includes an argument that may be off-topic, or may be primarily descriptive rather than argumentative; evidence is not related to the argument
• Lacks a thesis statement; paragraphs lack topic sentences; no clear transitions
• Contains numerous distracting grammatical errors; phrasing is awkward and unclear

Single-point rubrics

A single-point rubric is similar to an analytic rubric in that it breaks down performance into separate traits. But instead of providing descriptors for each performance level for each trait, a single-point rubric describes performance only at a proficient or competent level for each trait. It does not specify how performance might exceed or fall short of proficiency.

• Easy to create
• Time-consuming to use because instructor must write in a description of how a student's performance on a particular trait falls short of or exceeds proficiency
• Provides very specific, targeted feedback
• Does not require instructor to imagine all the different ways students' work could exceed or fail to meet expectations for proficiency

What are the steps in creating a rubric?

• Choose an assignment you want to create a rubric for.
• Look at examples of student work responding to the assignment, if available. Reflect on what makes the examples successful or unsuccessful, and what you hope to see in student work.
• What would a very strong response to this assignment look like? What characteristics would it have?
• What kinds of mistakes might students make on this assignment? In what ways might their work fall short?
• What kinds of feedback do you want to give students about this assignment?
• What type of rubric seems most appropriate for the type of assignment you've chosen?
• Do you want the rubric to provide a numerical score or an overall grade?
• How much detailed feedback do you need to provide for this assignment?
• For analytic or holistic rubrics, decide on the number of performance levels you will include, and label each level (with letter grades, numerical scores, or verbal labels such as Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor).
• Create a grid with traits listed in the left-hand column and performance levels across the top row. Write descriptors for each level of each trait in the cells of the grid. Avoid vague adjectives; instead, list specific things you would look for. It might be easiest to start by writing descriptors for the highest and lowest levels of performance, then filling in the intermediate levels. A simple template for an analytical rubric is provided here.
• If appropriate, make the rubric quantitative by assigning points to levels of performance, and/or different weights to specific traits.
• Write a description of student work at each performance level of the rubric. Make sure the description at each level mentions each of the traits you identified.
• It might be easiest to start by describing the highest level of performance, and then modifying the descriptors for lower levels of performance. Alternatively, you could start by describing a level of performance that is "acceptable but not exceptional," and then modifying the descriptors for higher or lower levels of performance.
• Write a descriptor for each trait at a level of performance that is acceptable but not exceptional . Depending on the levels of performance you have chosen, you might think of this level as "good," a grade of B, or a level at which students have fulfilled all the requirements of the assignment.
• Create a grid with 3 columns; in the rows of the middle column, enter a descriptor for each of the traits you created. The column on one side is for writing in feedback about how the work exceeded the acceptable level for that trait; the column on the other is for feedback about how the work fell short.
• Regardless of the type of rubric you create, before you distribute it to students, it is a good idea to apply the rubric to a few examples of student work (perhaps from a previous semester) to confirm that the rubric delivers the grade you think the student work should earn. Are all important traits included in the rubric? Do the levels describe the full range of student work? Are the gradations between levels appropriate? If not, revise the rubric and recalibrate it.

How should I use the rubric?

A rubric is not only a tool for grading student work after it has been turned in; it can also help students focus their time and effort appropriately as they work on an assignment, and it can serve as a formative tool to provide feedback on intermediate stages of student work.

• When an assignment is made: Distribute a rubric for an assignment along with the assignment itself, before students begin their work. Students can use the rubric to help them understand your expectations and organize their effort accordingly.
• Use the rubric to provide feedback to students at intermediate stages of a larger project, or formative feedback on early drafts of papers. Using the rubric in this way gives students a sense of what they still need to work on to succeed on the assignment.
• If students will be peer-reviewing each other's work, they can use the rubric as a guide when giving formative feedback. This strategy not only ensures that the peer reviews are focused on the important aspects of student work; it also helps students become familiar with the rubric.
• Use the rubric to provide feedback on student work and derive a grade.
• A rubric can serve as a sort of tally sheet to help you keep track of overall levels of student performance, to help you reflect on students' strengths and areas for further growth.
• After using a rubric, it is also helpful to reflect on the rubric itself. Did it include all the traits you wanted to evaluate? Did it accurately describe different levels of student performance? Did the grades or scores derived from the rubric seem fair?

How can I use a rubric in Canvas?

Canvas allows instructors to create analytic rubrics to grade assignments, discussions, and quizzes. Student work submitted online can be graded using the rubric in SpeedGrader. Specific traits in the rubric can also be attached to pre-defined learning outcomes (e.g., for reporting data for Gen Ed or department or school level assessment).

To learn more about rubrics in Canvas, see the Canvas Instructor Guide or IU's Technology Toolfinder .

Where can I see other examples of rubrics?

The links below provide more information about creating and using rubrics, and they include examples of rubrics from a variety of disciplines and for different kinds of assignments.

• Depaul University Teaching Commons
• Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation
• UC Berkeley Center for Teaching and Learning

For more assistance with creating or using rubrics in your teaching, contact the CITL for an appointment .

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A rubric is a tool built from a set of criteria that can be used to both guide and evaluate student performance on an assignment. When designed and used effectively, rubrics can help instructors:

• Grade more efficiently and consistently
• Align coursework with learning outcomes
• Effectively communicate expectations and what success looks like
• Precisely identify specific strengths and weaknesses in students’ work
• Guide students to do more effective self-assessment and/or peer review

Some instructors worry that using a rubric will limit students’ critical thinking or creativity. But providing students with a rubric before they begin an assignment means that students don’t have to guess what you want – it can help them better understand the parameters of the assignment and the hallmarks of excellence. With your expectations in mind, they are more likely to take risks and try new approaches – particularly if your rubric specifies this as a goal.

Components of a rubric

Effective rubrics generally consist of three core components:

• Criteria : These are areas an instructor has determined to be key to student success on an assignment. They constitute the backbone of an instructor’s assessment of a student’s performance. Typically, criteria focus on the quality of the assignment’s content, methods, reasoning, communication, and/or format. To identify rubric criteria ask: What will I look at when I’m grading that will help me determine if a student is successful?
• Performance Levels : Similar to Likert scale ratings, performance levels are ratings that articulate the level of success demonstrated by the student on a particular criterion. They might be expressed in simple terms such as Complete / Incomplete, as a range of numbers or letters (e.g., 1-5 or A-F), or as a more detailed range of ratings (e.g., Sophisticated, Good, Competent, Average, Needs work, or Poor).
• Performance Descriptions : These are short descriptions of each performance level for a given criterion. For example, if the criterion is “Use of Research” and the performance levels range from A to F, the instructor would write five separate performance descriptions – one that articulates the characteristics an “A” quality use of research, one that articulates the characteristics of a “B” quality use of research, etc.

Types of rubrics

There are many different types of rubrics, each of which might be more or less suited to your particular teaching context. Most fall into one of three basic types of rubrics.

A holistic rubric is organized around performance levels rather than criteria. Each performance level includes a description of all the qualities that characterize the performance level. The instructor typically assigns a single score (usually using numbered or letter-based scale) based on their overall assessment of the student’s work.

Use when you are interested in giving the student feedback on the quality of their overall performance , rather than detailed feedback on multiple elements.

Single-point rubric

A single-point rubric is similar to an analytic rubric in that it is organized around a set of criteria and is set up as a matrix. However, single-point rubrics don’t have multiple performance levels, but instead only describe what proficiency looks like. Rather than articulating potential weaknesses in advance (as is the case in an analytic rubric), single point rubrics make space for instructors to provide specific feedback on areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement.

Use when you want to focus students on the criteria rather than the grade.

An analytic rubric is typically set up as a matrix with the criteria for the assignment listed in the leftmost column and the levels of performance listed across the top row, often using a numbered scale or descriptive tags. The cells within the matrix ideally would contain performance descriptions. When using an analytic rubric each of the criteria is scored individually. Students are able to understand the characteristics that distinguish an excellent submission from an unsatisfactory submission.

Use when you want to weigh criteria differently and provide detailed feedback on multiple, specific elements .

How to develop a rubric

• Articulate your learning outcomes for the assignment. What will students learn and/or do as a result of completing this assignment?
• Determine the type of rubric that will work best for assessing these outcomes and communicating feedback to students.
• Identify the criteria that will help you measure whether students have met the learning outcomes for the assignment.
• Determine the performance levels and write out the performance descriptions. Keep these as brief as possible–the fewer criteria you have, the easier it will be for students to prioritize what’s most important (and for you to grade their work).
• Decide how and when you will share the rubric with students. To get the most use out of your rubric, share it at the same time that you introduce the assignment. Knowing from the start how the assignment will be assessed will help students approach it most effectively.

Tips for developing an effective rubric

• Limit rubric criteria to the most important aspects of the assignment.
• Use specific, descriptive language to articulate the assignment requirements and assessment criteria.
• Ensure consistency by using similar language in each section of the rubric.
• Share the rubric with students when introducing an assignment.
• Consider co-creating rubrics with your students to help them better understand their own learning.

The examples below are meant to demonstrate the basic concepts and structure of a rubric. They are not meant to apply to any particular assignment. With a particular assignment in mind, instructors will need to articulate both the criteria that will guide their assessment of students’ performance and the performance descriptions for each level.

Holistic Rubric

Single-point rubric, analytic rubric.

Basic rubric examples Word doc

Additional resources

• Guide to creating rubrics on Canvas
• Writing@UW: What is a rubric, and how do I use it?

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How to Grade Homework with a Rubric

Grading assignments and keeping track of students' homework is a part of a teacher's life. It's also the least favorite part as it takes up a lot of time to go through each student's assignment and grade them without any biases. That's where rubrics come in handy.

How to Design Rubrics for Assignment Evaluation

Designing rubrics for assignment evaluation can be time-consuming. But this one-time effort can save you hours in the days to come. For creating a comprehensive rubric, you must set the criteria on which you'll be grading students' homework. You can include the following areas in your rubric:

Grading Criteria

Grading criteria are the aspects of the homework you'll be giving scores for. It may include neatness, accuracy, completion of tasks, quality, etc.

Learning Objectives

The first column must be of defined learning objectives. Clear and precise objectives will guide you in checking the accuracy of the assignment. Learning objectives also aid you in deciding the criteria for grading.

Grading Scale

The first row should consist of the scale you'll be using to grade the assignment. Are you using a range of 1-5, with one being the least amount of scores and five being the highest? Whatever grading scale you decide, the next step of defining characteristics would be based on that.

Criteria Characteristics

Now that you've decided on a grading scale, you must develop the characteristics you'd look for to award or deduct scores. For instance, if a student has given all the accurate information regarding the topic, they can get the highest score for the criterion of accuracy. These characteristics will aid you in comparing students' work with the rubric and make grading easy. Whichever cell of characteristics is compatible with students' work, award the score of that cell's row.

Basic Requirements

These are the basic information filled for individual students. This information includes the student's name, date of submission, number of pages, etc. Basic requirements will help you keep track of each student's assignment.

Why Should You Use Rubrics for Grading Assignments?

Knowing how to grade using a rubric is imperative for teachers to make this tedious task of going through assignments and scoring them efficient but error-free.

Efficient Grading

Grading numerous homework and paying attention to every individual's work is a time-consuming task. Using rubrics helps you do this task efficiently as you have criteria preset, and now you can grade your students' work by comparing it against the rubric.

Fair Assessment

A rubric gives you the means to fairly assess each of your students' tasks. Grading a bunch of assignments at a time can give room for errors and biases but comparing each assignment to the rubric assists you in reducing the chance of such errors. If the desired characteristics are present in a child's homework, you award the scores; if not, you deduct.

Rubrics effectively enable teachers to assess students' homework papers more quickly and accurately while reducing bias. It provides a list of criteria that students have to follow.

Developing rubrics for assignment evaluation can be time-consuming but also rewarding. Tailor an online rubric template or follow the guidelines above to design a rubric from scratch and grade away homework effortlessly.

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Whenever we give feedback, it inevitably reflects our priorities and expectations about the assignment. In other words, we're using a rubric to choose which elements (e.g., right/wrong answer, work shown, thesis analysis, style, etc.) receive more or less feedback and what counts as a "good thesis" or a "less good thesis." When we evaluate student work, that is, we always have a rubric. The question is how consciously we’re applying it, whether we’re transparent with students about what it is, whether it’s aligned with what students are learning in our course, and whether we’re applying it consistently. The more we’re doing all of the following, the more consistent and equitable our feedback and grading will be:

Being conscious of your rubric ideally means having one written out, with explicit criteria and concrete features that describe more/less successful versions of each criterion. If you don't have a rubric written out, you can use this assignment prompt decoder for TFs & TAs to determine which elements and criteria should be the focus of your rubric.

Being transparent with students about your rubric means sharing it with them ahead of time and making sure they understand it. This assignment prompt decoder for students is designed to facilitate this discussion between students and instructors.

Aligning your rubric with your course means articulating the relationship between “this” assignment and the ones that scaffold up and build from it, which ideally involves giving students the chance to practice different elements of the assignment and get formative feedback before they’re asked to submit material that will be graded. For more ideas and advice on how this looks, see the " Formative Assignments " page at Gen Ed Writes.

Applying your rubric consistently means using a stable vocabulary when making your comments and keeping your feedback focused on the criteria in your rubric.

How to Build a Rubric

Rubrics and assignment prompts are two sides of a coin. If you’ve already created a prompt, you should have all of the information you need to make a rubric. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way, and that itself turns out to be an advantage of making rubrics: it’s a great way to test whether your prompt is in fact communicating to students everything they need to know about the assignment they’ll be doing.

So what do students need to know? In general, assignment prompts boil down to a small number of common elements :

• Evidence and Analysis
• Style and Conventions
• Specific Guidelines
• Advice on Process

If an assignment prompt is clearly addressing each of these elements, then students know what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and when/how/for whom they’re doing it. From the standpoint of a rubric, we can see how these elements correspond to the criteria for feedback:

All of these criteria can be weighed and given feedback, and they’re all things that students can be taught and given opportunities to practice. That makes them good criteria for a rubric, and that in turn is why they belong in every assignment prompt.

Which leaves “purpose” and “advice on process.” These elements are, in a sense, the heart and engine of any assignment, but their role in a rubric will differ from assignment to assignment. Here are a couple of ways to think about each.

On the one hand, “purpose” is the rationale for how the other elements are working in an assignment, and so feedback on them adds up to feedback on the skills students are learning vis-a-vis the overall purpose. In that sense, separately grading whether students have achieved an assignment’s “purpose” can be tricky.

On the other hand, metacognitive components such as journals or cover letters or artist statements are a great way for students to tie work on their assignment to the broader (often future-oriented) reasons why they’ve been doing the assignment. Making this kind of component a small part of the overall grade, e.g., 5% and/or part of “specific guidelines,” can allow it to be a nudge toward a meaningful self-reflection for students on what they’ve been learning and how it might build toward other assignments or experiences.

Advice on process

As with “purpose,” “advice on process” often amounts to helping students break down an assignment into the elements they’ll get feedback on. In that sense, feedback on those steps is often more informal or aimed at giving students practice with skills or components that will be parts of the bigger assignment.

For those reasons, though, the kind of feedback we give students on smaller steps has its own (even if ungraded) rubric. For example, if a prompt asks students to  propose a research question as part of the bigger project, they might get feedback on whether it can be answered by evidence, or whether it has a feasible scope, or who the audience for its findings might be. All of those criteria, in turn, could—and ideally would—later be part of the rubric for the graded project itself. Or perhaps students are submitting earlier, smaller components of an assignment for separate grades; or are expected to submit separate components all together at the end as a portfolio, perhaps together with a cover letter or artist statement .

Using Rubrics Effectively

In the same way that rubrics can facilitate the design phase of assignment, they can also facilitate the teaching and feedback phases, including of course grading. Here are a few ways this can work in a course:

Discuss the rubric ahead of time with your teaching team. Getting on the same page about what students will be doing and how different parts of the assignment fit together is, in effect, laying out what needs to happen in class and in section, both in terms of what students need to learn and practice, and how the coming days or weeks should be sequenced.

Share the rubric with your students ahead of time. For the same reason it's ideal for course heads to discuss rubrics with their teaching team, it’s ideal for the teaching team to discuss the rubric with students. Not only does the rubric lay out the different skills students will learn during an assignment and which skills are more or less important for that assignment,  it means that the formative feedback they get along the way is more legible as getting practice on elements of the “bigger assignment.” To be sure, this can’t always happen. Rubrics aren’t always up and running at the beginning of an assignment, and sometimes they emerge more inductively during the feedback and grading process, as instructors take stock of what students have actually submitted. In both cases, later is better than never—there’s no need to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Circulating a rubric at the time you return student work can still be a valuable tool to help students see the relationship between the learning objectives and goals of the assignment and the feedback and grade they’ve received.

Discuss the rubric with your teaching team during the grading process. If your assignment has a rubric, it’s important to make sure that everyone who will be grading is able to use the rubric consistently. Most rubrics aren’t exhaustive—see the note above on rubrics that are “too specific”—and a great way to see how different graders are handling “real-life” scenarios for an assignment is to have the entire team grade a few samples (including examples that seem more representative of an “A” or a “B”) and compare everyone’s approaches. We suggest scheduling a grade-norming session for your teaching staff.

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Practice Using a Rubric

If you will be grading essays, you may want to practice with one of the following essay examples. If you work in the sciences, you may want to work with the physics homework problem (below the essay examples).

Student Essays

Open a  generic essay rubric  in a separate tab or window. Choose one of the sample papers linked below and grade it, using the linked rubric. You might start by focusing on a single trait listed in the rubric, such as “Organization.”

Does Travel Influence What’s Good to Eat and Bad to Eat? (pdf) Dehumanization in Laissez-Faire Capitalist World (pdf) Parmenides (pdf)

Physics Homework Problem

Try practicing with both the analytic and holistic rubrics .

Problem Statement

John throws a baseball with speed v = 5 m/s at an angle θ = 60° relative to the ground. What is the maximum height the ball reaches?

Solution 1 (pdf) Solution 2 (pdf) Solution 3 (pdf)

After grading

How do the two methods compare in efficiency of grading, effectiveness in providing learning feedback to students and overall fairness of scoring? Comparing notes with a fellow GSI can also be very illuminating. Are there any adjustments you would make to the rubrics?

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• An Efficient Rubric for Minimal Assessment

View printable An Efficient Rubric for Minimal Assessment (PDF)

Introduction

Opinions about the value of providing students written feedback on assignments vary widely. Some instructors believe written feedback is a necessary part of effective teaching, but others conclude students don’t utilize their feedback to improve or simply ignore comments altogether (Bailey & Garner, 2010). For the latter group of instructors, commenting extensively on student assignments may be perceived as an onerous and discouraging task. This latter group may understandably wonder:

If students rarely inquire about my written feedback, and if there is little or no evidence it improves student work, is written feedback helpful to students and worth my time? 

The efficient rubric I propose below is designed to facilitate rapid and holistic assessment of assignments without the use of written feedback. It was inspired by the “minimalist grading” perspective that suggests extensive written responses to assignments is not a useful or necessary practice (Elbow, 1997; see also Kohn, 2018; Walvoord & Anderson, 2010, p. 103). 

As is the case with other types of rubrics (see Tomaswick, 2017), the efficient rubric offers students grading criteria that can be used to inform and develop their assignments prior to submission. Like other rubrics, it offers instructors clear guidelines for gauging student performance. Unlike other rubrics, the efficient rubric involves instructors only providing students with a summary mark and corresponding percent grade on each assignment. Importantly, this saves instructors time they can reallocate to research, creative activity, service work, and other important aspects of teaching.

Implementation

• Exemplary, Proficient, Marginal, Unacceptable -OR-
• Met, Partially Met, Not Met -OR-
• Pass / Fail You can also modify the efficient rubric’s grading categories and criteria as needed. Once all modifications are made, the rubric can be appended to a course syllabus.
• Determine what will count as an overall check plus, check, check minus and zero score on an assignment. For instance, you might state that if a student’s assignment adheres to the “check plus” performance standard in 3 out of 4 grading categories, the summary mark for the work is a “check plus” with a corresponding percent grade in the range specified (e.g., 95%). On the other hand, if a student receives a check plus in one category, a check in another, and two check minuses in two other categories, what summary mark and percent grade would they receive? You must clearly establish these rules prior to implementing the rubric in your course.
• Discuss why you are using the efficient rubric and how it works at the beginning of the semester or term. You should be honest and direct regarding your rationale for its implementation: ‘more efficient,’ ‘former students rarely utilized written feedback.’ Also, be sure to fully explain how you will use rubric criteria to decide on an overall summary mark and percent grade. Both guidelines – why you’re using the rubric and how it works – must be clearly defined at the outset for the efficient rubric to work effectively. Importantly, you should also encourage students to seek your guidance if a grade is unclear or if they’d like one-on-one feedback.
• Be prepared to explain summary grades and provide feedback in face-to-face (or virtual face-to-face) meetings with students throughout the semester. Some students will undoubtedly have questions about their summary marks and how to improve future work. The instructor must make themselves available, during office hours or otherwise, to respond to student inquiries. Critically, these one-on-one meetings give the instructor an opportunity to (1) explain why the student received their summary grade and (2) identify areas for the student to improve. While written assignment feedback affords only top-down, one-way communication, these meetings should involve constructive exchanges between instructor and student.

Frequently Asked Questions

How critical is it to introduce the efficient rubric at the beginning of the semester?

• It is imperative that instructors clearly explain their motivations for using an efficient rubric and how the rubric will be used to assign grades in the first session, before any grades are assigned. Be honest and direct. Make sure to encourage students to meet with you if they have questions.

Is it okay if students just email me or ask me after class about their summary mark?

• No. If students have questions, they should plan to meet with the instructor face-to-face or virtually to review assignments. The goal is to avoid excessive written commenting.

Do I have to put the rubric in my course syllabus?

• No, but it’s recommended. This allows students to easily check assignments against rubric criteria prior to submission. 

What if the time I spend fielding student questions and providing verbal feedback offsets the time I save in grading?

• This is possible, but unlikely. Not all students will want feedback. For those who do, the instructor may find verbal feedback is far simpler to provide than is written.

What can I do to encourage students to seek feedback?

• You could require students to meet with you after the first or second assignment. Another way could be to have a future assignment prompt students to reflect on the mark they were given, why they believe they earned that mark, how that was similar or different to what was discussed during the debrief with the instructor, and what they could do in the future differently.

Other Resources

A copy of the efficient rubric example (shown below) on Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qvhkmts9p4dDcv3ORMgJPa0sRi_ehya-hiA… ;

A list of standard rubrics: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/rubrics.html

Kaizena, a tool for efficient grading in Google docs: https://www.kaizena.com/

Bailey, R., & Garner, M. (2010). Is the feedback in higher education assessment worth the paper it is  written on? Teachers' reflections on their practices. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 187-198. doi: 10.1080/13562511003620019

Elbow, P. (1997). Grading student writing: Making it simpler, fairer, clearer. New Directions for Teaching  and Learning, 69, 127-140. doi: 10.1002/tl.6911

Kohn, A. (2018). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A’s, praise, and other  bribes. Twenty-fifth anniversary edition. New York, NY: Mariner. 

Tomaswick, L. (2017). Assessing Student Learning - Rubrics. Kent State University Center for Teaching  and Learning. Retrieved January 14, 2019 from https://www.kent.edu/ctl/rubrics/

Walvoord, B.E., & Anderson, V.J. (Eds.) (2010). Effective grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment in  College. (2nd Ed). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

Cite this resource:  York, C. (2019). An Efficient Rubric for Minimal Assessment. Kent State University Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved [today’s date] from (insert HYPERLINK).

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