Rubrics

Not only is it essential for faculty to agree on the program and course learning outcomes, it is also essential that faculty agree on how the evidence collected to determine outcomes attainment is evaluated. Faculty must agree on ways to measure or describe what various levels of outcomes attainment looks like. The most common tool for this is the rubric.

The best rubrics describe learning outcomes and level of outcomes attainment in practical, illustrative language that is clear to both students and faculty. Rubrics are tailored to the discipline or assignment, and include a scale to rate demonstration of the outcomes.

It is best practice to use a common rubric or other agreed upon tool to evaluate student knowledge and skills across multiple sections of a course.

Additionally, rubrics can be effective learning tools when shared with students before and after completing an assignment. This helps students understand the expectations of an assignment and engage in the process of evaluating their own learning.

Example Rubrics