Rubrics:

Clarifying Expectations and

Improving the Grading Process
What is a rubric?
CHECKLIST
 Why use a rubric?
Improvement to
assignment and
instructions

Feedback to Clarifies
instructors expectations for
students

Clarifies feedback Formative

to students assessments for
students

Consistency in
grading >> increased
reliability, validity,
standardization
Rubric Types: Analytic
Rubric Types: Holistic
Rubric Types: General

General Rubric
Rubric Types: Specific
Parts of a Rubric
Sample Discussion Board Rubric
Sample Research Paper Rubric
Sample:
Presentation
Rubric
Research on Student Perceptions of Rubrics
When rubrics were available before an assignment
began:

• Students had more positive attitudes about

grading
• Students believed they engaged in more
meaningful work
• Students felt the grading was more fair
• Research done in many disciplines

(Reddy & Andrade, 2010, citing other studies)

Research on Instructor Perceptions of Rubrics

• Instructors have more positive attitudes about grading

• Rubrics make grading more objective, consistent, efficient
• Some studies show no change
• Some faculty are resistant to rubric use – time-consuming
and unfamiliar with benefit)

(Reddy & Andrade, 2010, citing other studies)

Research on effect of rubrics on academic
performance

• Discussion Board performance improved after students given

detailed rubric (Wyss, 2014)

• Use of rubrics showed increased interaction, retention,

development of higher level thinking skills, higher grades,
(Reddy & Andrade, 2010, citing other studies)

• Rubrics helped students understand where they were deficient

(Soiferman, 2015)

• Some studies showed no change (small sampling)

• Limited research exists

 Evidence that rubrics are effective
across multiple courses

• Rubrics helped program directors assess how skills were taught across
multiple courses (Reddy & Andrade, 2010; Belanger, 2015)

• Rubrics across multiple courses (Information Literacy skills) increased

collaboration among faculty (Oakleaf, 2012)

• Rubrics used across multiple courses/faculty should be normed to

improve rater reliability (Oakleaf, 2012)
 Other research

• Some research on increasing rater reliability (Reddy

and Andrade, 2010; Rapchak, 2015).

• Some research that analytical rubrics have more rater

confidence than holistic rubrics (Oakleaf 2012)
 Research Opportunities

• Room for more research: rater reliability; validity of

rubric measurement; impact of geographic and
cultural perspectives.

• Data available through Creative Commons license

from one large study on large post-graduate DE
program in health sciences (Hack, 2015).
How to Create a Rubric
Reflect

List

Group/
Label

Apply

Test

Stevens, 2013.
 References
Andrade, H. (2000). Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. Educational Leadership,
57(5), 13-18.
Andrade, H. (2001). The effects of instructional rubrics on learning to write. Current Issues
in Education, 4(4), 1-22.
Andrade, H., & Boulay, B. (2003). Role of rubric-referenced self-assessment in learning to
write. Journal of Educational Research, 97(1), 21-34.
Belanger, J., Zou, N., Mills, J., Holmes, C., Oakleaf, M. (2015). Project RAILS: Lessons
learned about rubric assessment of information literacy skills. Portal: Libraries and the
Academy, 15, 4, 623-44.
Brookhart, S. How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. ASCD
2013 (available as e-book in Gelman)
Brookhart, S. M. & Chen, F. (2014). The quality and effectiveness of descriptive rubrics.
Educational Review. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2014.929565 (2015).
De La Paz, S. (2009). Rubrics: Heuristics for developing writing strategies. Assessment for
Effective Intervention, 34(3), 134-146. DOI: 10.1177/1534508408318802.
Hack, C. (2015). Analytical rubrics in higher education: A repository of empirical data.
British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 924-927.
Jonsson, A. & Svingby, G. (2007). The use of scoring rubrics: reliability, validity and
educational consequences. Educational Research Review, 2, 2, 130–144.
Moskal, B. (2000). Scoring rubrics: What, when and how? Practical Assessment,
Research & Evaluation, 7(3), 2-7.
Oakleaf, M. (2012). Staying on track with rubric assessment: Five institutions
investigate information literacy learning. Peer Review, 14, 18-21/ Retrieved from
https://www.aacu.org/peerreview
Popham, W.J. 1997. What’s wrong – and what’s right – with rubrics. Educational
Leadership 55, no. 2: 72–5.
Reddy, Y. M. & Andrade, H. (2010). A review of rubric use in higher education.
Assessment and Evaluation In Higher Education, 35, 435–448.
Saddler, B., & Andrade, H. (2004). The writing rubric: Instructional rubrics can
help students become self-regulated writers. Educational Leadership, 62(2), 48-
52.
Stellmack, M., Konheim-Kalkstein, Y., Manor, J. (2009). An assessment of
reliability and valididty of a rubric for grading APA-Style Introductions.
Teaching of Psychology, 36, 102-107.
Stevens, Dannelle D.; Levi, Antonia J. (2013). Introduction to rubrics: An
assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective feedback and promote
student learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Pub. http://bit.ly/22qvG0z
Creating a Rubric: An Online Tutorial for Faculty , Merlot Elixr, University of
Colorado Denver,
http://elixr.merlot.org/assessment-evaluation/assessment-rubrics/assessment-ru
brics4
.