Developing a Rubric
Developing a rubric can be very helpful when assessing SLOs. Rubrics allow faculty
and students to more easily assess complex SLOs by:
- Clarifying the key elements of the SLO
- Documenting the standards that will be used to determine success
- Allowing for clear communication across multiple sections regarding the SLO and its assessment
To develop a rubric:
- Work with others teaching the course this can take place during in-person meetings, through online collaboration, or a combination of both
- Break down the SLO and look for key features. These will become the Primary Traits and will go down the side of the rubric
- Decide if you want a yes/no measure or one that includes levels. These will become the Levels of Mastery and will go across the top of the rubric
- Describe the observable behaviors that lead to the levels in #2 for each of the Primary Traits. These go in the spaces between the Primary Traits and the Levels of Mastery.
Example:
English 091 SLO: Students will be able to compose thoughtful, well-organized, grammatically correct
short essays, using properly documented outside sources and personal observations
and experiences to develop a unified thesis.
- Primary Traits = Thesis (thoughtfulness, unity), Organization (well-organized), Evidence (outside sources, personal observations and experiences), Essay Length (short essays), Grammar (grammatically correct), MLA Style (properly documented)
- Levels of Mastery = Pass or No Credit
- See rubric on reverse . . .
Developing a good rubric will take some time and conversation, but it will also make
SLO assessment much easier once it is developed.
Resources for developing rubrics: