Rubrics

This webpage is dedicated to providing NTCC faculty with resources, trainings, and templates to promote the use of rubrics as a means of grading and assessment.

A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly describes the instructor’s performance expectations for an assignment or piece of work. In order to provide students with performance expectations, a rubric identifies the criteria that will be assessed, the associated characteristics, and performance levels based on mastery rating. (CMU Eberly Center)

When well-designed, rubrics can help instructors to reduce grading time, more clearly identify class strengths and weaknesses, ensure consistency, reduce uncertainty, and discourage complaints. Rubrics can also help students to better understand expectations and standards, use feedback for improvement, monitor their progress, and recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. (CMU Eberly Center).

Training and Resources

The NTCC Teaching and Learning Center has developed the following training videos to help support faculty with using rubrics:

• Rubrics 101 - Performance Rubrics (Rob McNabb)
• Rubrics 201 - Let's Make a Rubric (Amanda Jacob and Christopher Chandler)
• VALUE Rubrics (Paul Donaldson)
• Creating Rubrics in Canvas (Khiem Ngo)

Helpful Links:

• Creating and Using Rubrics (CMU Eberly Center)
• Signature Assignment Library (NILOA)

VALUE Rubrics

NTCC encourages the use and adoption of VALUE rubrics to assess student learning. VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) rubrics were developed through AAC&U by teams of faculty and other educational professionals from institutions across the country—two- and four-year, private and public, research and liberal arts, large and small—developed rubrics for sixteen Essential Learning Outcomes that all students need for success in work, citizenship, and life. 

The rubrics include a focus on Inquiry and Analysis, Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Written Communication, Oral Communication, Quantitative Literacy, Information Literacy, Reading, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Civic Knowledge and Engagement—Local and Global, Intercultural Knowledge and Competence, Ethical Reasoning and Action, Global Learning, Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning, and Integrative Learning.