Recently, Chris Clark posted on rubrics and Blackboard’s grading form tool (Blackboards grading forms gets a B-). Chris discussed the challenges involved in creating and implementing rubrics well. One thing he didn’t mention is how they can facilitate student learning and performance. How Rubrics Help Students Learn (Chronicle of Higher Education, November 28, 2010) provides several examples of students who have used rubrics to focus their thinking and improve their performance on assignments.
If you decide to use rubrics make sure you consider sharing them with your students so they can use them during their work. Not only will it help them learn better but it will also improve their performance. Having polled many faculty members I can say the vast majority have indicated that better work takes less time to grade. With that in mind, the challenges involved in creating a good rubric should seem a little less daunting.
Resources on Rubrics
- Assessment Rubrics from Kennesaw State (also the source of the image above).
- Stevens, D. and Levi, A. (2005). Introduction to rubrics : an assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective feedback, and promote student learning. Available for checkout from the Kaneb Center Library.
