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Instructional Design Course Guide

Rubrics

Rubrics are valuable tools used to assess student learning at the course and program level.

When used at the course level, a rubric:
  • Is a scoring instrument that demonstrates assignment expectations
  • Divides the assignment into various dimensions
  • Provides a detailed description of each dimension’s varying performance levels
  • Can be used to grade and assess a variety of assignments such as book critiques, lab reports, group work, research papers, class participation and discussion, portfolios, oral presentations, and other assignments
Best Practices
  • Use common rubrics across your course(s)
  • Rubrics are available to students 
  • Consistent and student-centric language
  • Specific and descriptive language
  • Performance scale between 3-5 levels 
  • Performance levels progress in a clear and logical order

Benefits of Rubrics

For students, rubrics:
  • Clarify the instructor’s expectations regarding the assignment
  • Provide criteria for achieving learning outcomes
  • Can be used as a guide when developing their assignment
For instructors, rubrics:
  • Can be used to assess any criteria or behavior
  • Help to make the grading process quicker, fairer, and more transparent
  • Allow for consistent grading, from the first assignment through the very last
  • Serve as a reliable grading scale

Sample Rubrics

Use these templates from DU's Instructional Design team to help create rubrics for your assignments.