Online Analytical Rubric Generators
Simple Web Tools for Teachers to Create Student Assessments
Jan 7, 2009
Analytical rubrics are powerful assessment tools that can be constructed with online software. These rubrics are conveniently divided into criteria and qualities and use descriptive, positive language to explain what is expected for the assignment. Though their construction is simplistic, their creation can be difficult, especially for teachers new to rubric creation.
Due to their simple design, analytical rubrics are easily created with well developed online software. The software is typically preset with many generic criteria which can be applied to a large variety of assignments, anything from homework to long term projects. Some of these also provide examples as to how to adapt the rubric to produce a traditional percentage grade, not just the skills assessment. By exploring the provided criteria a teacher can also gain a stronger understanding as to how to write the criteria for the four different qualities, thus learning how to create new ones for skills not covered by the preset criteria of the rubric generator.
Analytical Rubric Generators
A quick search of the web will produce thousands of hits for rubric generators. Choosing the best one depends on what is desired. Should the generator produce a generic list of criteria? Should the teacher be able to choose amongst options? Is there a reason to create criteria not included in the generator? Can software be loaded on a machine at school without permission, or will the generator have to be used online only?
Examples of Rubric Generator Options
One online generator, RubiStar, is provided by 4Teachers and offers many options. Teachers can create an account, allowing for the saving of rubrics for future use or modification. Even if the teacher does not choose to create a user account, he or she can search for existing rubrics, create a rubric from a model for a variety of situations, or even create one from scratch. Existing criteria can be used as it is written or modified to use alternate wording. RubiStar can also be extended by a web-based software called Waypoint to provide assessment tracking tools that can be integrated into both Moodle and Blackboard.
A simpler option is provided by teAchnology. Non-members have access to a large variety of pre-created rubrics. These rubrics are divided into categories such as homework, handwriting, reading and participation and allow for the teacher to input the school's name, their name and a title for the rubric. Membership is not free, but does allow for the teacher to customize the rubrics.
The Rubric Processor is another option. This software, provided by Pennsylvania State University, can be set up on machines running older operating systems and does not provide a web interface. It provides only preset criteria and descriptions, but allows for tracking student performance and printing of specific student results.
These three options span a variety of needs. Each creates an analytical rubric to assess skills, but address different computing requirements and teacher needs. Teachers just starting to explore rubrics would find the Rubric Processor or teAchnology's generator more useful for learning how to write their own or further their understanding of what a rubric can assess. RubiStar is more robust and assumes a basic understanding of what is wanted in the rubric.
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