Rubrics & Criteria
Rubrics & Criteria
Rubrics are the heart of transparent and fair assessment. They clarify expectations and expedite grading, whether by a human instructor or by AI.
What Is a Rubric?
A Rubric is a scoring guide that:
Outlines Criteria (e.g., Organization, Clarity, Analysis).
Defines Performance Levels (e.g., Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor).
Assigns Scores for each level.
Benefits
Consistency: Standardizes grading and feedback.
Transparency: Lets learners know exactly how they’re assessed.
Alignment: Ties directly to Learning Objectives so you measure what matters.
Example Rubrics
Example 1: Rubric for Short Response Questions
Criteria
Excellent (4 pts)
Good (3 pts)
Fair (2 pts)
Poor (1 pt)
Focus & Clarity
Thoroughly addresses the prompt with clarity and precision; demonstrates a clear, concise response.
Addresses the prompt but may lack in-depth clarity or focus; generally coherent but could be sharper.
Partially addresses the prompt; lacks organization or contains some ambiguity in the main idea.
Does not address the prompt clearly; disorganized or off-topic; main idea is unclear or missing entirely.
Evidence & Support
Incorporates strong, relevant evidence from credible sources; effectively interprets and connects evidence to main points.
Uses evidence from sources, though some may be less relevant; analysis present but lacks depth.
Relies on minimal or weaker evidence; analysis is superficial or connections are loosely established.
Provides little to no evidence; minimal or absent analysis; sources not credible or not used at all.
Numerical Analysis
Demonstrates highly accurate calculations or quantitative insights with clear explanations that strengthen the argument.
Generally correct calculations; explanations or connections to the main argument could be expanded.
Includes some numerical work but contains errors or lacks clear explanations; connection to the argument is weak.
Missing or entirely inaccurate numerical elements; no meaningful integration into the response.
Example 2: Rubric for Longer Response or Essay Questions
Criteria
Excellent (4 pts)
Good (3 pts)
Fair (2 pts)
Poor (1 pt)
Thesis Statement
A focused, original thesis that directly addresses the prompt; clearly positioned in the introduction and woven throughout the essay.
Thesis is identifiable and somewhat focused; may lack originality or clear positioning within the intro but still addresses the prompt.
Thesis is vague, partially off-topic, or not clearly tied to the assignment prompt; placement in the essay is unclear.
Thesis is missing, unrelated to the prompt, or does not guide the essay’s content.
Evidence & Support
Integrates robust, credible evidence from multiple sources; thoroughly analyzes and connects evidence to the thesis.
Uses appropriate evidence, though some sources may be weaker or the analysis less thorough; attempts to connect evidence to the thesis.
Relies on minimal or somewhat irrelevant sources; analysis is limited or connections to the thesis are tenuous.
Includes little to no credible evidence; analysis is missing or superficial; sources do not support the thesis.
Organization
Demonstrates a well-planned structure; each paragraph transitions smoothly and supports the overarching argument or thesis.
Generally organized with coherent paragraphs; transitions exist but could be strengthened for better flow.
Some paragraphs may not support the thesis clearly; transitions are weak or missing in places, creating confusion in the argument.
Disorganized overall; paragraphs lack unity or relevance; transitions are absent, making the essay hard to follow.
Grammar & Style
Writing is consistently clear, concise, and virtually error-free; maintains an academic or professional tone throughout.
Mostly clear writing with a few minor errors; tone is generally appropriate but may slip occasionally.
Noticeable grammatical or syntactical issues that disrupt readability; tone may be inconsistent or too informal.
Contains numerous grammar, syntax, or spelling errors; style is unclear or inappropriate, significantly hindering comprehension.
Analysis & Depth
Presents insightful, critical analysis; synthesizes ideas to form strong conclusions; shows creativity or innovation in approach.
Offers a reasonable level of analysis but may not fully delve into complexities or alternative perspectives; partially synthesizes ideas.
Basic analysis with limited depth or critical thinking; tends to summarize rather than evaluate or synthesize multiple viewpoints.
Lacks depth in analysis; little to no critical thought or original insight; does not synthesize or interpret information.
How to Interpret These Rubrics:
Assign each criterion a point value based on the performance level. For example, a response that’s Good in every category in a short response question might receive 3 points per criterion, while an Excellent rating would yield 4 points.
Summation of points across criteria can yield a final score. You can also use weighting if certain criteria are more important (e.g., Analysis & Depth might be weighted more heavily).
Provide learners with the rubrics ahead of time so they know exactly what is expected. This fosters transparency and can improve the quality of submissions.
Tip: Feel free to adapt these rubrics to your own subject matter. You might rename criteria (e.g., “Creativity” or “Innovation”) or alter descriptors to fit specific learning objectives or advanced skill sets.
Creating a Rubric
Navigate to Rubrics & Criteria tab.
Click “New Rubric.”
Enter:
Name: e.g. “Essay Evaluation Rubric”.
Status: Select Active or Inactive.
Description: Provide a detailed description of the rubric.
Weight: (Optional) Specify a weight for the rubric.
Learning Text Task: (Optional) Associate teh rubric with a Learning Text Task.
Learning Choice Task: (Optional) Associate teh rubric with a Learning Choice Task.
Click "Save".
Adding Criteria
Criteria are the detailed rows of your rubric:
From the Rubric Details page, locate the related Criteria list.
Click “New Criterion.”
Enter:
Name: A criterion name.
Sequence: Specify the numerical order for this criterion within the rubric.
Weight: (Optional) Give the criterion a weight.
Level Name: A name for this performance level (create up to 5 levels, at least one level is required).
Level Score: A score for this performance level.
Level Description: A description for this performance level.
Learning Rubric: Associate this criterion with a Learning Rubric.
Click "Save".
Adding Model Solutions
For complex tasks (especially essays), define Model Solutions that show an ideal response and the associated score. These help:
Instructors quickly calibrate their grading.
Learners see examples of best practice (when appropriate).
Creating a Model Solution
From the Rubric Details page, locate the related Model Solutions list.
Click “New Model Solution.”
Enter:
Name: A model solution name.
Score: Specify a numeric score assigned to this model solution.
Solution: The model solution text.
Learning Rubric: Associate this model solution with a Learning Rubric.
Click "Save".
Updating & Deleting
Rubrics: Edit or delete from the rubric details page.
Criteria: Edit or delete from the criterion details page.
Model Solutions: Edit or delete from the model solution details page.
Formative vs. Summative
Formative: Quick or frequent checks. Rubrics can be simpler.
Summative: More elaborate rubrics, possibly heavier weighting.
Next Steps
Now you know how to create Rubrics and build Criteria. Align them with Assessments and harness AI for faster, more accurate scoring. Time to add resources in Learning Resources to provide the content your learners need.
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