This article explains what a rubric is, what they are used for, and the different types of rubrics that exist.
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What is a Rubric and what are rubrics used for?
A rubric is a tool used to provide valid and reliable information about a student's performance (e.g., an assignment in the form of a paper, professional product, presentation, action, etc., or a contribution to a discussion) based on a description of criteria. It is used for both assessment in the form of expectations and feedback/feedforward after the assessment.
A rubric is an assessment matrix with two dimensions: the first dimension contains the learning outcomes, competencies, or assessment criteria (depending on how analytically the assessment is done), and the second dimension contains the assessment or mastery levels. Using rubrics is recommended when there are more than two levels. The cells in the matrix contain indicators, descriptions of the criteria at each level.
A rubric makes it clear to both students and teachers how far students have progressed in achieving the intended learning outcomes. In a rubric, each assessment criterion is described in terms of the assessment level (e.g., sufficient, supplemented with insufficient, good, excellent). This makes it a good tool to use for interim assessments with a learning function. For a student, this provides insight into the gap that still needs to be bridged between their current mastery level and the desired mastery level. It allows the teacher to provide targeted feedback and enables the student to ask for targeted feedback or reflect on how to bridge the gap.
The validity and reliability of rubrics are strongly influenced by the process through which they are developed. Generally, using rubrics is beneficial when they are created through calibration sessions with a group of teachers and/or students. It is a means of increasing inter-rater reliability and also raising students' awareness of quality. (Source: Handreiking toetsing, 2024).
Types of Rubrics and Scoring Methods
Rubrics can be used for both holistic and analytic assessments. In a holistic rubric, all the assessment criteria are considered at once to form a judgment about a performance. In an analytic rubric, the aim is to have clear and distinct criteria so that all relevant aspects of the assessment are evaluated separately with their own qualification.
With rubrics, you can assess using textual performance levels such as "Excellent" or with a numerical score such as "90." There are different ways to score a rubric. Below is an explanation of the types of rubrics and the available scoring methods for each type.
Analytic Rubric
Most rubrics are analytic. An analytic rubric breaks down performance into multiple criteria. Each criterion is assessed individually, resulting in an overall assessment score.
For example, an analytic rubric for evaluating essays might have separate criteria for spelling, grammar, and content. Each criterion can be rated as insufficient, sufficient, good, or excellent, which then results in an overall evaluation.
Scoring Methods for Holistic Rubrics
No Score: In this method, only text is used, for example, performance levels such as "Insufficient," "Sufficient," "Good," or "Excellent."
Points: Similar to text-only scoring, but points are assigned to each performance level. For instance, the following points could be assigned to the performance levels: "Insufficient" (10 points), "Sufficient" (55 points), "Good" (80 points), and "Excellent" (100 points).
Custom Points: This method is similar to the 'Points' method, but you can adjust the points for each criterion individually. For example, for the criterion "Spelling and Grammar," the levels "Insufficient," "Sufficient," "Good," and "Excellent" could be worth 0, 10, 20, and 30 points, respectively. For another criterion, "Content," the same levels might be worth 0, 20, 40, and 60 points, making this criterion weighted twice as much as the spelling and grammar criterion.
Example of an Analytic Rubric:
Holistic Rubric
The Holistic Rubric does not break performance into separate criteria. Instead, performance is assessed holistically. While you can consider different criteria, you evaluate them as a whole. Use a holistic rubric when you want to assess a student's performance based on one overarching criterion.
Scoring Methods for Holistic Rubrics
No Score: In this method, only text is used, for example, performance levels such as "Insufficient," "Sufficient," "Good," or "Excellent."
Percentages: A holistic rubric can be automatically calculated using percentages based on the maximum score of the corresponding item (e.g., an assignment).
Example of a Holistic Rubric:
