Determining Levels in Analytical Rubrics
Determining Levels in Rubrics
Tips for determining the number of levels include
- In general, four to six levels are considered ideal.
- Fewer than four makes it difficult to distinguish performances
- More than six makes it difficult to comprehend distinctions (particularly for students).
- More complex performances require comparatively more level than simpler tasks.
- When deciding on an odd or even number of levels, consider the effect of having a middle level. Will middle represent 鈥榥eutral鈥 and is that acceptable for the task?
- Develop names for the levels that are tactful and descriptive. Examples:
- Expert, proficient, developing, novice o Exceeds expectations, meets expectations, approaching expectations, below expectations
- Exemplary, acceptable, developing, unacceptable o Expert, intermediate, developing, beginning o Excellent, good, average, fair
- Exceeds standard, meets standards, marginal, unacceptable
- Optimizing, operating, developing, emerging o Accomplished, advancing, developing, beginning
- Exceptional, advanced, proficient, basic
When writing the descriptions of the levels ensure that the descriptions:
- Have a face validity (make sense to students and other faculty).
- Are instructive to students. That is, the descriptions break down the dimensions of the task and articulate what quality is for each dimension.
- Reflect variation in quality of the dimension (rather than a shift in the definition of the dimension).
- Provide enough information to discern important differences, but not too much to encourage focusing on trivial differences. 鈥 Are clearly defined, and avoid overuse of terms such as 鈥渇airly well,鈥 鈥渟ome,鈥 or 鈥渟ubstantial.鈥
- Are described well enough so that someone else could use the rubric and get the same result as you would.