Rubrics: let's make it simpler...

Stripgenerator comic, Rubrics & the Secret to Grading

A rubric is a scoring tool for assessments. It is a set of criteria and standards linked to learning objectives that is used to assess a student's performance on papers, projects, essays, and other assignments. 

The rubric allows teachers and students alike to assess criteria which are complex and subjective and also provide ground for self-evaluation, reflection and peer review.

It is aimed at accurate and fair assessment, fostering understanding and indicating the way to proceed with subsequent learning/teaching. 

Common features of rubrics: 

• focus on measuring a stated objective (performance, behavior, or quality)
• use a range to rate performance
• contain specific performance characteristics arranged in levels indicating the degree to which a standard has been met. 

Rubrics allow for standardised evaluation according to specified criteria, making grading simpler and more transparent.

Wikipedia

There are several web pages that create standardised rubrics for different assessments, most of them can be modified, download or printed.

Example:

Useful tools: rubistar.4teachers, box.net