Creating and Using Rubrics
Rubrics: A Direct Measure Student Learning
One very commonly-used method for getting a direct measure of student learning is to select an assignment, project, performance, or other student work that aligns with some (or all) of the critical program or course learning outcomes and grading it using a rubric.
A rubric is simply a list or chart that outlines the criteria or standards to be used to evaluate student work. Rubrics vary from simple checklists and numerical rating scales to the so-called "full rubric" used to describe a student's performance at each of several levels. Rubrics are useful for grading individual assignments, and many faculty may already be using them for this purpose. However, when rubrics for individual students are gathered and the information is collated, they can provide powerful evidence for student learning in a program.
The key to developing a good direct measure is alignment. You want to ensure that the learning outcomes, student work, and rubric have clear connections to each other.
Rubric Library
The TNS Rubric Library contains rubrics in use at other institutions and a number of additional sample rubrics developed at TNS that faculty may use to develop rubrics for their programs or courses.
A number of TNS programs have developed rubrics aligned with their program learning outcomes.
The AAC&U VALUE Rubrics
The American Association of Colleges and Universities completed a major project as part of its Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative. The Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) project brought together more than 100 faculty members, assessment specialists, and other academic professionals to develop consistent rubrics for evaluating the "essential learning outcomes" of undergraduate liberal education as defined in the LEAP initiative. These rubrics, which are easily adapted to suit the needs of particular programs or institutions, include critical thinking, creative thinking, written communication, oral communication, civic engagement, teamwork, and other topics. For more information, go to www.aacu.org/value/.