Using Rubrics for Critique & Grading

What is a rubric?

Rubrics at the Academy of Art University

• Formal rubrics are used across multiple sections of the same course. They are official documents, developed according to a set of format and content guidelines, test-driven by faculty, approved by your department and by Faculty Development, and published in the learning management system (LMS) for use in your course, Online and Onsite. Formal rubrics should not be altered by individual faculty without the department’s approval. They are attached to major projects. Not all courses have formal rubrics. Check with your department about the existence of formal rubrics in your courses. (Formal rubrics are also sometimes called “FYRI” rubrics, for the First Year Rubric Initiative that was launched in 2011.)

In a typical formal AAU rubric (click to view an example), the criteria are listed in the left column, and descriptions of what work looks like at each level fill the remaining three columns.

When used as a feedback sheet for a student, criteria are highlighted and notes are added (click to view an example)

• Informal rubrics are created by you, individual instructors, for use in your own courses. They are extensions of your teaching, and do not need to go through any specific vetting process, so they take a variety of forms. Instructors often develop informal rubrics, or feedback sheets, to help them grade smaller assignments, or projects in courses that do not have formal rubrics.

• Some rubrics include sample critiques— sample student work accompanied by all applicable comments directly from the rubric. Sample critiques are also available in the LMS. 

Why use rubrics?

Rubrics enhance good teaching and learning. When instructors incorporate rubrics into strong classroom practices (including critiques, student self-assessment, and grading), they help to focus and strengthen teaching and learning. They do not do the teaching for us. They do not replace good teaching. But they do define the core goals of main assignments, taking away the uncertainty about what an instructor is expected to be teaching, and what a student’s work is expected to look like. Below are a few examples of specific benefits of rubrics that faculty developers at the AAU have found in the years that we have been talking about and conducting formal research on rubrics. 

• Rubrics improve communication with students about assignments and grades. They define what makes a project “good” or “average” through descriptive details. Over 70% of AAU students whose instructors use rubrics say that they understand the assignments better and do a more complete job when there is a rubric.

• Rubrics save time on grading. While there is an initial investment of time in developing rubrics, they ultimately save teachers’ time. Eighty-one percent of AAU instructors who use rubrics say that rubrics save them time while grading. 

• Formal rubrics align grading standards among faculty who teach the same course and contribute to more objective assessment. A normed, formal rubric helps instructors in multiple sections of a course make sure they are grading according to the same standards.

• Rubrics push students to achieve more.

How to create a rubric

Rubrics have two components:

1. A list of criteria for an assignment or task
2. Descriptions of each criterion for different levels of achievement.

Creating the list of criteria

To create a rubric, first think about the major criteria for the assignment. For example, if you want students to create a composition in an introductory painting class, you might decide that the criteria are as follows: composition, value, and paint quality. Your rubric might start out looking something like this:

If this assignment were given in a perspective class, there would likely be a criterion for accurate perspective; in a computer-based class, use of specific tools might replace paint quality. For an advertising course you might look for evidence of market research.

Writing descriptions of work at each level of achievement

Decide how many columns your rubric will have. The example below has 3 columns. Next, define each criterion. Concisely answer the questions: What does an excellent composition look like? Acceptable composition? Unacceptable composition? The sample descriptions below are one interpretation of the standards for composition. Your own would differ according to your expectations and the context of the assignment. Your standards should also reflect those of the industry, your department, and the specific course you are teaching. Note that a composition assignment could be given in an introductory foundations class or in a graduate level painting course. The rubric helps to define and focus the specific criteria and levels of achievement your course seeks to develop in students.

Tips for creating rubrics

• Always check to see what rubrics already exist in your department first.
• Try to keep your list of criteria to five or fewer.
• Avoid words like "good" and "bad" in your descriptions. Instead, describe exactly what good and bad look like. Looking at specific examples of A, B, C, D and F level work can help you make your language specific.
• Showing samples of work that exemplify various levels of the rubric ("sample critique") is often very helpful to students.
• Rubrics for major assignments should always be approved by the department director

Common pitfalls for rubrics (click to view)

Sample rubrics and templates

Learn more