Types of Rubrics
There are two common types of rubrics:
Analytic Rubrics
An analytic rubric resembles a grid with the criteria for a student product listed in the leftmost column and with levels of performance listed across the top row often using numbers and/or descriptive tags. The cells within the center of the rubric may be left blank or may contain descriptions of what the specified criteria look like for each level of performance. When scoring with an analytic rubric each of the criteria is scored individually.
Example Analytic Rubric: Articulating thoughts through written communication— final paper/project.
| Needs Improve- ment (1) | Developing (2) | Sufficient (3) | Above Average (4) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity (Thesis supported by relevant information and ideas.) | The purpose of the student work is not well-defined. Central ideas are not focused to support the thesis. Thoughts appear disconnected. | The central purpose of the student work is identified. Ideas are generally focused in a way that supports the thesis. | The central purpose of the student work is clear and ideas are almost always focused in a way that supports the thesis. Relevant details illustrate the author’s ideas. | The central purpose of the student work is clear and supporting ideas always are always well-focused. Details are relevant, enrich the work. |
| Organization (Sequencing of elements/ideas) | Information and ideas are poorly sequenced (the author jumps around). The audience has difficulty following the thread of thought. | Information and ideas are presented in an order that the audience can follow with minimum difficulty. | Information and ideas are presented in a logical sequence which is followed by the reader with little or no difficulty. | Information and ideas are presented in a logical sequence which flows naturally and is engaging to the audience. |
| Mechanics (Correctness of grammar and spelling) | There are five or more misspellings and/or systematic grammatical errors per page or 8 or more in the entire document. The readability of the work is seriously hampered by errors. | There are no more than four misspellings and/or systematic grammatical errors per page or six or more in the entire document. Errors distract from the work. | There are no more than three misspellings and/or grammatical errors per page and no more than five in the entire document. The readability of the work is minimally interrupted by errors. | There are no more than two misspelled words or grammatical errors in the document. |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Analytic Rubrics
Advantages
- Provide useful feedback on areas of strength and weakness.
- Criterion can be weighted to reflect the relative importance of each dimension.
Disadvantages
- Takes more time to create and use than a holistic rubric.
- Unless each point for each criterion is well-defined raters may not arrive at the same score.
Holistic Rubrics
A holistic rubric consists of a single scale with all criteria to be included in the evaluation being considered together (e.g., clarity, organization, and mechanics). With a holistic rubric the rater assigns a single score (usually on a 1 to 4 or 1 to 6 point scale) based on an overall judgment of the student work. The rater matches an entire piece of student work to a single description on the scale.
Example Holistic Rubric: Articulating thoughts through written communication— final paper/project.
- Above Average: The audience is able to easily identify the focus of the work and is engaged by its clear focus and relevant details. Information is presented logically and naturally. There are no more than two mechanical errors or misspelled words to distract the reader.
- Sufficient: The audience is easily able to identify the focus of the student work which is supported by relevant ideas and supporting details. Information is presented in a logical manner that is easily followed. There is minimal interruption to the work due to misspellings and/or mechanical errors.
- Developing: The audience can identify the central purpose of the student work without little difficulty and supporting ideas are present and clear. The information is presented in an orderly fashion that can be followed with little difficulty. There are some misspellings and/or mechanical errors, but they do not seriously distract from the work.
- Needs Improvement: The audience cannot clearly or easily identify the central ideas or purpose of the student work. Information is presented in a disorganized fashion causing the audience to have difficulty following the author’s ideas. There are many misspellings and/or mechanical errors that negatively affect the audience’s ability to read the work.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Holistic Rubrics
Advantages
- Emphasis on what the learner is able to demonstrate, rather than what s/he cannot do.
- Saves time by minimizing the number of decisions raters make.
- Can be applied consistently by trained raters increasing reliability.
Disadvantages
- Does not provide specific feedback for improvement.
- When student work is at varying levels spanning the criteria points it can be difficult to select the single best description.
- Criteria cannot be weighted.