Debra Dunlap Runshe
Instructional Development Specialist
University Information Technology Services - Learning Technologies
Indiana University
– Purdue University Indianapolis

If you agree with any of these statements a rubric may be for you…
 You are getting carpal tunnel syndrome from writing the same comments on almost every student paper.
 You have graded all your papers and worry that the last ones were graded slightly differently from the first ones.
 You’ve sometimes been disappointed by whole assignments because all or most of your class turned out to be unaware of academic expectations so basic that you neglected to mention them (e.g., the need for citations or page numbers).
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
 articulate how rubrics can be useful.
 describe characteristics of a rubric.
 distinguish between analytic and holistic rubrics.
 design a rubric.

Do you use rubrics to assess student work?
If so, how?
What do you already know about rubrics?
What are some things you want to learn about using rubrics to assess student work?

Rubrics are criterion-referenced rules for assessing student performance holistically or analytically (on different dimensions).
A scoring tool that lays out the specific expectations for an assignment, providing a detailed description of what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable levels of performance.
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

 Task description
 A scale
 Dimensions of the assignment
 Descriptions of performance level
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

Common when evaluating independent dimensions or components of student work.
Common when the assessed criteria are considered in combination and when quality is judged broadly.

Scale
Level 1
Scale
Level 2
Scale
Level 3
Scale
Level 4
Scale
Level 5
Task Description
•Dimension 1 description
•Dimension 2 description
•Dimension 3 description
•Dimension 1 description
•Dimension 2 description
•Dimension 3 description
•Dimension 1 description
•Dimension 2 description
•Dimension 3 description
•Dimension 1 description
•Dimension 2 description
•Dimension 3 description
•Dimension 1 description
•Dimension 2 description
•Dimension 3 description

Article Review
A
B
C
D
F
•Insightful development and mature style
•Cogent analysis of or response to the text
•Uses sophisticated sentences effectively
•Clearly competent
•Thoughtful analysis of or response to the text
•Less fluent and complex style than 6, but chooses words accurately, varies sentences effectively
•Satisfactory
•Adequate analysis of response to the text
•Usually chooses words of sufficient precision, sentences of reasonable variety
•Unsatisfactory in one or more ways
•May analyze or respond to text illogically
•Frequently imprecise word choice and little sentence variety
•Serious weaknesses, of several kinds
•Simplistic, inappropriate, or incoherent analysis of or response to text
•Inaccurate word choice, monotonous or fragmented sentence structure

Task Description
Scale
Level 1
Scale
Level 2
Scale
Level 3
Scale
Level 4
Dimension 1
Dimension 2
Dimension 3

Oral Presentation
Content
Exemplary
Full understanding of topic
Stays on topic Stays on topic
100-95% of the time
Preparedness Completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed
Eye contact Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room
Competent
Good Understanding of parts of topic
Developing
Does not seem to understand topic
Stays on topic
94-75-% of the time
It was hard to tell what the topic was
Somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking
Sometimes establishes eye contact
Does not seem at all prepared to present
Does not look at people during the presentation

A rubric is a protocol for grading based on:
 critical components
 scoring scale
So, what is worth grading on (the components)?

 Comprehensive literature review
 Clarity of rational for chosen research design including importance to field
 Understanding of methodology to be used
 Includes and addresses potential limitations and implications for practice
 Proper references to texts, other resources
 Organization, conformity to format
 Precision of measurement, quality of data
 Clarity of explanations, expression
 Strength/tightness of arguments
 Grammar and mechanics
 Writing style
 Use of APA Style

Four Important Steps
1. Reflection
2. Listing of Objectives
3. Grouping and Labeling
4. Application of Scales
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

Eight questions to consider:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Why did you create assignment?
Have you given this or similar assignment before?
How does the assignment relate to the rest of the course?
What skills do students need for successful completion?
What exactly is the task assigned?
What evidence can students provide to show they have successfully completed the assignment?
What does an exemplary product look like?
What does the worst example of a product look like?
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

What are the specific learning objectives for this assignment?
What is the highest level of performance you expect for each learning goal?

Dimensions of an Academic Research Proposal
Research Question
Literature Review
Methodology
Limitations and Significances
Transitions
Grammar and Style

 Exemplary, proficient, marginal, unacceptable
 Advanced, intermediate high, intermediate, novice
 Distinguished, proficient, intermediate, novice
 Accomplished, average, developing, beginning
 Outstanding, very good, good, poor, unsatisfactory
 A, B, C, D, F
 Satisfactory, unsatisfactory

“Elegance of Argument” component:
5 Original and clearly stated thesis, persuasive, well-organized, imaginative use of source material
4 Clearly stated thesis, good use of sources, well organized
3 Facts straight with reasonable explanation of the subject under consideration
2 Poorly stated thesis, inadequate survey of available sources, poor organization
1 No awareness of argument or complexity

Reliability - Does it get the same results consistently?
Would two experts from the same discipline score student demonstration the same with the rubric?
Validity – Does it measure what it claims to measure?
Would two experts from the same discipline consider what the student is asked to demonstrate an example of what you want to measure?

 Think about building a rubric for buying a house.
 Identify the components that are critical in completing this task.
 Write the descriptive levels for the components.

 Provides timely feedback
 Prepares students to use detailed feedback
 Encourages critical thinking
 Facilitates communications with others
 Helps refine teaching methods
 Levels the playing field
(Stevens & Levi, 2005)

 Provide examples of work corresponding to different levels
 Provide coaching on components of quality before the whole assignment is undertaken
 Have students use the rubric to assess each other’s practice assignments and develop norms of fairness
 Have students use the rubric to assess their own work and provide feedback on their self-assessment

 Research other rubrics
 Peer evaluation
 Revise, revise, revise

RubiStar:
iRubric:

(Retrieved from http://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/index_p.cfm?CFID=41453385&CFTOKEN=58615771 August 8, 2012)

Learning Outcomes for the development of VALUE Rubrics
Intellectual and Practical Skills
 Inquiry and analysis
 Critical thinking
 Creative thinking
 Written communication
 Oral communication
 Reading
 Quantitative literacy
 Information literacy
 Teamwork
 Problem solving


Personal and Social Responsibility
 Civic knowledge and engagementlocal and global
 Intercultural knowledge and competence
Ethical reasoning
Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
Integrative and Applied Learning
 Integrative and applied learning
(Retrieved from http://www.aacu.org/value/abouttherubrics.cfm
August 8, 2012)

During this webinar, we:
 discussed how rubrics can be useful.
 described characteristics of a rubric.
 distinguished between analytic and holistic rubrics.
 designed a rubric.

So students look like this …

Debra Dunlap Runshe, Instructional Development Specialist
University Information Technology Services – Learning Technologies
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Information Technology and Communications Complex (IT 342H)
535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-278-0589
Email: drunshe@iupui.edu

ALTEC at University of Kansas.
RubiStar.
Web site: http://rubistar.4teachers.org
Carnegie Mellon, Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence. Grading and performance rubrics.
Retrieved June 11, 2010 from http://www.cmu.edu/teaching//designteach/teach/rubrics.html
Kansas State University, Office of Assessment. Measures, rubrics, & tools for assessing student learning outcomes.
Web site: http://www.kstate.edu/assessment/plans/measures/samples/index.htm
McGonigal, K. (2006, spring). Getting more “teaching” out of “testing” and
“grading." Speaking of Teaching, 15, 2. Retrieved June 11, 2010 from http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/738.html
Moskal, B. M. (2003). Recommendations for developing classroom performance assessments and scoring rubrics [Electronic version]. Practical
Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 8(14). Retrieved June 11, 2010 from http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=14
Moskal, B. M. (2000). Scoring rubrics: what, when and how? [Electronic version]. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 7(3). Retrieved June
11, 2010 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=3

Palomba, C.A., & Banta, T.W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education . San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Quinlan, A. M. (2006). A complete guide to rubrics: Assessment made easy for teachers, K-college . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Reazon System, Inc. iRubric.
Web site: http://www.rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm
rSmart, a Sakai Commercial Affiliate. Resources for teaching and learning.
Web site: http://openedpractices.org/resources
Simkins, M. (1999). Designing great rubrics. Technology & Learning , 20 (1),
23-24, 28-30.
Stevens, D. D. & Levi, A. J. (2005). Introduction to rubrics.
Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. (2 nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
TLT Group. Rubrics . Web site: http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/Rubrics.htm
Walvoord, B.E. (2010). Effective grading: A tool for learning and assessment .
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

What are rubrics?
A rubric is a criterion-referenced scoring tool for assessment linked to learning objectives that is used to assess a student's performance. Rubrics allow for standardized evaluation according to specified criteria, making grading simpler and more transparent.
What benefits do rubrics offer, and to whom?
Rubrics benefit both the instructor and the students. They are used both to guide student learning and to assess student learning outcomes.
Creating rubrics
Steps in creating rubrics include: 1) articulate the objective(s) of the assignment; 2) identify criteria to be evaluated; 3) determine the levels of performance across the criteria; 4) describe the performance at the various levels for each criterion.
Resources for rubric creation
AAC&U’s VALUE rubrics from www.aacu.org/value/metarubrics.cfm
Rubistar http://rubistar.4teachers.org iRubric http://www.rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm

(Describe here the task or performance that this rubric is designed to evaluate.)
Stated Objective or
Performance
Beginning
1
Developing
2
Accomplished
3
Exemplary
4
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.
Score
Stated Objective or
Performance Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.
Stated Objective or
Performance Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.
Stated Objective or
Performance Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.
Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.

(highlight and replace with your title)
(Description of task or performance - highlight and replace with your description.)
Score