Beyond the gradebook: How rubrics optimise assessment, improve feedback, and enhance student learning

Rubrics are a powerful tool for assessment and learning in higher education. Assessment is not just about grading results; it is also an important means of encouraging student engagement and improving the learning process. A well-designed rubric can offer significant benefits beyond simple grading. It can save time during the assessment process and provide students with effective feedback that they can actually use. In addition, the transparency of rubrics promotes student learning by clarifying expectations and encouraging self-assessment. Rubrics also provide a clear, consistent basis for presenting the skills to be earned and for assessing and grading the level of skill at the end of a course. In this Refresh Teaching session, these various functions of rubrics will be explored and discussed.