What is a rubric?
A rubric is an authentic assessment tool which is particularly useful in assessing tasks which are complex and subjective. Authentic assessment is geared toward assessment methods which correspond as closely as possible to real world experience. It was originally developed in the arts and apprenticeship systems, where assessment has always been based on performance. The instructor observes the student in the process of working on something real, provides feedback, monitors the student’s use of the feedback, and adjusts instruction and evaluation accordingly. Authentic assessment takes this principle of evaluating real work into all areas of the curriculum. The rubric is one authentic assessment tool which is designed to simulate real life activity where students are engaged in solving real-life problems. It is a formative type of assessment because it becomes an ongoing part of the whole teaching and learning process. Students themselves are involved in the assessment process through b
In the context of GE assessment, a rubric is a document that spells out the criteria that a student’s work should meet to “exceed,” “meet,” “approach,” or “not meet” each objective (or part of objective). Rubrics are often presented as tables, with rows for each objective, and columns for “exceeds,” “meets,” “approaches,” and “does not meet.
