🧠Rubric Guide for Online Teaching
Helping students understand expectations — and helping faculty give clear, consistent feedback
What Is a Rubric?
A rubric is a scoring guide that outlines the specific criteria used to evaluate student work. Each criterion includes descriptions of different levels of performance (for example, Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Beginning).
Rubrics make assessment transparent. Students know what “good work” looks like, and instructors have a clear, fair way to evaluate assignments.
In short, A rubric communicates what matters in an assignment and how quality is defined.
Why Use Rubrics in Online Courses?
Online students often rely on written instructions and digital feedback rather than in-person discussion. Rubrics help bridge that gap by making expectations explicit and providing meaningful feedback.
Benefits for instructors:
- Promotes consistent and fair grading
- Saves time when providing feedback
- Clarifies what you value in student work
- Offers data for program or course improvement
Benefits for students:
- Clarifies what’s expected and how to succeed
- Reduces confusion or anxiety about grading
- Provides targeted, actionable feedback
- Encourages self-assessment and revision. In the online environment, rubrics aren’t just grading tools — they’re learning tools.
Where to Find Sample Rubrics
Cornell University – Using RubricsÂ
Carnegie Mellon University – Grading & RubricsÂ
Northern Illinois University – Rubrics for Assessment
DePaul University – More Examples of Rubrics
Syracuse University – Rubric Library
Generative AI tools such as Co-Pilot, Gemini, Perplexity, or ChatGPT can help you create any type of rubric. Make sure to be very specific about what you want the tool to create, including the course level, etc. The more specific the prompt is, the better output you will receive.
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