Guidelines for Developing Rubrics

The process of developing rubrics might be exhaustive for the first time. The following section provides step-to-step guidelines for developing a rubric.

Step 1 - Identify the purpose and aims of assessing students

• Determine if the assessment is for certification, prerequisite of another subject or an assessment contributing to the students’ graduation award classification.

Step 2 - Identify what to assess

• Review subject description form to identify the subject intended learning outcomes for assessment.
• Align the assessment tasks with the intended learning outcomes and learning activities.

Step 3 - Select an appropriate type of rubric

• Determine whether a holistic, analytic or item structure rubric is more appropriate. The choice will depend on the assessment type adopted (formative, summative or mathematically based).

 
Step 4 - Identify the performance criteria for assessing student work

• List down criteria to be assessed in the task. For example, criteria such as introduction, content, presentation, organization and time-management maybe set for a presentation rubric. A sample of common criteria for different assessments has been attached as Appendix 1 for reference.

Step 5 - Identify the levels of performance

• Appropriate levels of performance have to be identified and adopted to allow assessors to grade and students to identify their level of performance.
• Rubrics developed should adopt the similar grading levels as presented in the Institutions Subject Level Grading Descriptors (ISLGD) (as set out in the Handbook on Academic Regulations and Rules for Taught Programmes, Section C3, 7.1).

Step 6 - Describe each level of performance (grading descriptors)

• Write the grading descriptors for each level of performance with the variance between each level being as equal as possible. To begin with, the descriptors of the highest and lowest levels shall be drafted first. Subsequently, fill in the descriptors for the levels in between.
• Each descriptor and each level of performance shall be mutually exclusive.
• The descriptors would best be focusing on the quality and quantity expected from the student rather than on the absence of them.
• Retain the aspects in the descriptors similar for all levels of performance. For instance, if your descriptors for the intermediate level of performance focus on aspects such as quantity, clarity and details, it would be best to also include them in the descriptors of other levels of performance.
• Adopting objective descriptors, instead of subjective ones, to make it easier for readers to understand. For instance, describing “The analysis contains no errors” is more explicit than “The analysis is good”. The description “no errors” is quantifiable while “good” relies more on the assessor’s judgement.

Step 7 - Pilot the rubrics

• Conducting a trial test or “calibration” process on several samples of work with several assessors using the developed rubric to ensure the inter-rater reliability of the rubrics and consistency of grading. Fine-tuning of the rubric may be required if the grades resulting from the trial deviates extensively. The outcome of the calibration process ensures that all assessors interpret the rubric in the same way and increases the reliability and consistency of the rubric. Eventually, grade inflation or deflation in an assessment may be circumvented extensively.
• Assessors should collect samples of students’ work for each level of performance which shall serve as benchmarks for students and assessors, and as an evidence for any quality assurance audit.

Step 8 - Periodical review / revisions to rubrics as necessary

• As stated in the University’s rubrics policy, to ensure that the rubrics reflect a suitable level of academic standards, samples marked with the rubrics should be periodically reviewed by Departmental Academic Advisors, External Examiners and/or Overseas Academic Advisors, as part of the review process during Departmental Review and other periodic visits by these individuals where appropriate. This being a measure of external benchmarking is not a substitute for internal moderation of assessment processes and results by relevant departmental committees/panels/boards.

Optional - Developing rubrics with students

• Developing rubrics with students would help students to better understand the content and purpose of rubrics. Communicating the criteria and standards well ahead may assist students in preparing for assessments and greatly reduce future disputes on grades.

Extra tips for creating rubrics

(Video acknowledgement: Tips for Creating Rubrics, World Learning Edu, https://youtu.be/yW7ibkMgz0c (Video length: 3:56 mins)