Rubrics list the criteria established for a particular task and the levels of achievement associated with each criterion, and are often developed in the form of a matrix (see examples below). Grades are produced in one of two ways. Using analytic rubrics, the criteria are usually listed down the left column with the descriptions of the levels of achievement across the rows for each criterion. A judgement is based on each performance indicator for levels of achievement in each dimension. For holistic rubrics, an assessment is made of the assessment task as a whole; this is more appropriate for less structured tasks, such as creative products.  

The image below shows the structure of a rubric. A sample rubric is provided underneath.

Rubric showing quality and dimensions of performance 

Table 1. Sample rubric  

Rubrics should be given to students along with the assessment task to help them understand the purpose of the assessment and how it will be marked, and should be returned to students with their grade to provide feedback and help them understand the basis of their grade (Suskie, 2010). Not every criterion needs to have the same number of performance levels, so it is essential that teachers are familiar with what various qualities of work might look like for each criterion. 

Some technologies incorporate assessment tools such as rubrics. Learning Management Systems (e.g. Blackboard, Canvas and Moodle) incorporate functionalities where rubrics can be created and used to grade online assessments. These include peer and self-assessment tasks, assignments, discussions, blogs and wikis. GradeMark (part of the Turnitin suite of tools) provides a rubric function for online marking. Other tools include group peer assessment tools, such as iPeer and WebPA, which also have a rubric function, and a free online tool iRubric available for creating, adapting and sharing rubrics online.