Rubrics templates

Assessment of software design and development with a

General Purpose Programming Language
This example rubric defines key criteria for:
 user interface design, and the use of relevant tools such as mockups,
 algorithm design, and the use of relevant tools such as flowcharts and pseudocode,
 the development (coding) of the algorithms in a General Purpose Language, such as Python or
JavaScript, including testing.

The criteria in this rubric are not suitable for assessing a complete digital solution.
They do not address:
 the overall design thinking process and the value of innovation,
 problem definition and identification of solution requirements,
 evaluation of completed solution,
 collaborative work and project management.

ASSESSMENT STANDARD (extracts - Digital Technologies)

Years 5 and 6: Design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems. Incorporate
decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and implement their digital
solutions, including a visual program.

Years 7 and 8: Design user experiences and algorithms incorporating branching and iterations, and
test, modify and implement digital solutions.
Achievement E D C B A
standard
criteria

Design user No demonstrable Interface is inefficient Interface is somewhat Interface is efficient Interface is highly
interface attention to interface and/or ineffective for efficient and effective and effective for the efficient and effective
(text only) efficiency or the purpose of the for the purpose of the purpose of the for the purpose of the
effectiveness for the solution. solution. solution. solution.
purpose of solution.

User is presented with User is presented with User is presented with User is presented with User is presented with
no instructions to inadequate adequate instructions clear instructions to clear, complete
interact with the instructions to interact to interact with the interact with the instructions to interact
solution. with the solution. solution. solution. with the solution.

No response to invalid Little response to Some responses to Some useful Appropriate, helpful
user input. invalid user input. invalid user input. responses to invalid responses to invalid
user input. user input.

Creative Commons BY 4.0 licence, unless otherwise indicated.

Digital Technologies Hub is brought to you by

Australian Government Department of Education and Training

 Rubrics templates
Design user No demonstrable Interface is inefficient Interface is somewhat Interface is efficient Interface is highly
interface attention to interface and/or ineffective for efficient and effective and effective for the efficient and effective
(graphical) efficiency or the purpose of the for the purpose of the purpose of the for the purpose of the
effectiveness for the solution. solution. solution. solution.
purpose of solution.

Mockup missing or Mockup inadequate Mockup used to Mockup used correctly Mockup used correctly
incoherent. for presenting design. present design and to present design. and to present design
adequately. thoroughly.

Interface lacks key Elements of the Elements of the Most elements of the All elements of
elements and is interface are unclear, interface are adequate interface are clear and interface are clear,
inadequate for the incomplete and/or in terms of clarity and suitable to the complete and suitable
intended user. unsuitable to the suitability to the intended user. to the intended user.
intended user. intended user.

When present, colour, Colour, placement Colour, placement Colour, placement Colour, placement
placement and font and font choices do and font choices make and font choices make and font choices make
choices do not not demonstrate the solution for a mostly consistent for a consistent
demonstrate understanding of adequately useable, experience, and experience, and
understanding of design conventions. and demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate strong
design conventions. basic understanding moderate understanding of
of design conventions. understanding of design conventions.
design conventions.

Design Little or no apparent Flowchart / Flowchart / Flowchart / Flowchart /

algorithm use of flowchart / pseudocode used pseudocode used pseudocode used pseudocode used
pseudocode. sparingly or adequately, with some mostly correctly, with correctly, with all
incorrectly. conventions followed. most conventions necessary
followed. conventions followed.

Algorithm is Algorithm is inefficient Algorithm is Algorithm is efficient Algorithm is highly /

incomplete or and/or ineffective, somewhat efficient and effective, maximally efficient
incoherent, demonstrating limited and effective, demonstrating and effective,
demonstrating little or understanding of demonstrating moderate demonstrating strong
no understanding of sequence. adequate understanding of understanding of
sequence. understanding of sequence. sequence.
sequence.
Algorithm does not Where appropriate, Where appropriate, Where appropriate,
correctly incorporate algorithm correctly Where appropriate, algorithm correctly algorithm correctly
more than one or two incorporates some of algorithm correctly incorporates: incorporates:
of the following: the following: incorporates most of  iteration (loops)  iteration (loops)
 iteration (loops)  iteration (loops) the following:  branching  branching
 branching  branching  iteration (loops) (decisions) (decisions)
(decisions) (decisions)  branching  variables  variables
 variables  variables (decisions)  user input  user input
 user input  user input  variables  output  output
 output  output  user input
 output

Develop code Basic functional code Code is inadequate or Code is adequate but Code is largely Code is fully complete
– overall is missing. contains syntax not complete, or complete and free of and free of syntax
functionality errors. contains syntax syntax errors. errors.
errors.
Program cannot run. Program is mostly free Program is free of
Program is not Program contains of bugs, where bugs, where
functional or contains bugs that affect some reasonable. It can be reasonable. It always
bugs that affect basic functionality. It can be run successfully with runs successfully with
functionality. run successfully with specific input. expected input.
minor modifications.
No demonstrable Program meets most Program meets all
attention given to Program meets little Program meets some functional functional
functional or no functional functional requirements and requirements and
requirements or requirements. requirements and mostly fulfils design fulfils design
design. reflects design (assuming no (assuming no
somewhat. changes). changes).

Creative Commons BY 4.0 licence, unless otherwise indicated.

Digital Technologies Hub is brought to you by

Australian Government Department of Education and Training

 Rubrics templates
Develop code Few or none of the Some of the following An adequate range of Most of the following Where appropriate, all
– following skills are skills are utilized the following skills are skills are utilised the following skills are
programming utilized correctly: correctly: utilized correctly: efficiently: utilised thoroughly and
skills  iteration (loops)  iteration (loops)  iteration (loops)  iteration (loops) efficiently:
 branching  branching  branching  branching  iteration (loops)
(decisions) (decisions) (decisions) (decisions)  branching
 variables  variables  variables  variables (decisions)
 user input  user input  user input  user input  variables
 output  output  output  output  user input
 output

Develop code Code is largely Code shows no Code shows limited Most code organised All code organised
– readability & incoherent. attention to attention to clearly and logically. clearly and logically.
internal organisation. organisation.
documentatio
No attention to rules Little or no Some appropriate Most appropriate rules All appropriate rules
n and conventions to appropriate rules and rules and conventions and conventions and conventions
maximise code conventions followed followed to maximise followed to maximise followed to maximise
readability. to maximise code code readability, code readability, code readability,
readability, including: including: including: including:
 tabbing and  tabbing and  tabbing and  tabbing and
whitespace whitespace whitespace whitespace
 naming of  naming of  naming of  naming of
variables / variables / variables / variables /
functions functions functions functions

Comments are not Comments are rare. Some comments are Comments are mostly All comments present
present or randomly present. present where where appropriate,
inserted. appropriate and are thorough and clear.
mostly clear.

Develop code No formal testing Formal testing Formal testing Formal testing Formal testing
- testing apparent. sporadic and rare. includes some or one includes most of the includes all of the
of the following (where following (where following (where
appropriate): appropriate): appropriate):
 unexpected user  unexpected user  unexpected user
input or data input or data input or data
 out of range  out of range  out of range
input or data input or data input or data
(boundary (boundary (boundary
checking) checking) checking)
 wrong type input  wrong type input  wrong type input
or data or data or data

No evidence of Testing tool (eg. Testing tool (eg. Testing tool (eg. Testing tool (eg.
testing. testing table) used testing table) partly testing table) mostly testing table)
incorrectly or complete and used complete and used complete and used
sparingly. adequately. correctly. effectively.

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Digital Technologies Hub is brought to you by

Australian Government Department of Education and Training