Is your rubric correct in its technical construction?
In the last module we examined each of the five steps for constructing a rubric. To make sure that your rubric is constructed properly, remember these important items for each step:
- Define your purpose: Think about the goals for your rubric. Will you use the rubric for grading or for feedback? For a complex project or for a simpler learning task?
- Choose your rubric type: Think about whether you need to use an analytic rubric and give student an in-depth, detailed score; or whether you need a holistic rubric and give students a broad, overall sense of their performance.
- Define the criteria: Criteria should be: observable and measurable, reflect the most important and essential elements of the learning task, distinct from other criteria, and phrased in precise, unambiguous language.
- Design the rating scale: The number of rating scale points should reflect the purpose of your rubric.
- Write descriptors: Descriptors should: be observable and measurable; written in consistent and parallel language across the scale; and be clearly distinguishable across the scale by indicating amount, frequency or intensity.
Remembering these points will help you create a rubric that is correct in its technical construction. Now let's look at ways to test your rubric's measurement capabilities so that it's a reliable and valid instrument. >>>