The Value of Rubrics

The Value of Rubrics: Closing the Loop on Expectations and Learner Performance

Online learners consistently point to a recurring theme in successful learning experiences … clearly understanding an instructor’s expectations improves their performance. Clarity of expectations in online teaching is a universal best practice in online teaching and learning. We (ID’s and instructors) strive to communicate to students as clearly as possible in regard to instructions, grading policies, course navigation, course resources, etc. 

We refine content presentation to the best of our abilities to ensure universal understanding, accessibility, and efficient course navigation. 

I propose that we (ID’s) help faculty close the loop on clarifying expectations for students with rubrics. Feedback on performance should help online learners understand which expectations were met, where they can improve, and why they earned a specific grade. Rubrics provide this clarity.

In online teaching, a rubric is not just a statement of criteria and performance levels, but also serves as a powerful and efficient grading tool that closes the loop between stated behavioral outcomes and each learner’s performance in meeting those outcomes. It is a surgical “red pen” for the grading process. Specifically, rubrics provide:

• Extensive narrative feedback on specific criteria;
• Accurate point values for each criteria and overall grade;
• A preview and review of an instructor’s performance expectations… ie … what constitutes an exemplary/satisfactory/unsatisfactory evaluation.

Is it a tough sell to get faculty to create and use rubrics? Sometimes. Whenever we propose extra work, there is pushback. I have found that many faculty express interest in rubrics when I demonstrate the grading process in Brightspace. When they see the efficiency of the tool (5 clicks = 5 paragraphs of criteria-based feedback and accurate scoring), many faculty want to know more.

I have helped many faculty create rubrics for their learning activities. For each assignment, I usually start with pulling out the salient language (expectations) of both the instructions, and then the stated learning outcome(s) aligned with the assignment. This usually provides enough language to generate criteria. I bring this to our first collaborative meeting, and we build from there. Once we are happy with the criteria, we then move to the exemplary performance level for each, making sure that the language is accurate and measurable. This can take a while. Once the exemplary levels are done, we then move to the lower performance levels, making sure they align with the exemplary level language.  Lastly, we assign point values to each criteria and performance level.

I value these collaborations with instructors above most others. I appreciate the trust faculty afford me, as they are willingly putting themselves in a vulnerable position. As ID’s, we have few opportunities to “go deep” into the teaching process with instructors, focusing mainly on the design of content, not the delivery of instruction. But rubrics lie at the heart of instruction, a bridge between content presentation (as a preview of expectations) and assessment (performance results).

Rubrics

• Creating and Using Rubrics for Assessment
• Rubrics
• Using Rubrics
• Authentic Activities, Assessments & Rubrics – ppt.
• Resource Rubric
• Five Norms and Five Rubrics for High-Quality Online Learning

Create and edit a Rubric – Brightspace Tutorial