OK, so why this concern with rubrics?
  1. Coming clean: Too much important stuff takes place in a black box. Professors perform magic tricks that dazzle students with "woo-woo-woo" and arcane knowledge. However, what about showing them where the magic comes from? What about learning how to evaluate good magic from bad? Rubrics make clear how a discipline or a specific instructor evaluates the quality and presentation of analysis and information.
  2. Fairness: Is it fair to judge students according to often arcane standards without telling them what those standards are? I don't think so.
  3. Consistency: Related to fairness is evaluation consistency--applying the same criteria to all student work. Without rubrics, how can we fairly, accurately, and consistently judge what is A, B, C, or other work? Again, overt standards are far preferable to “woo-woo.”
  4. Improved Feedback: By highlighting student performance strengths and weakness on behavioral criteria, we can better teach students how to improve in the future. Holistic evaluations often fail to pinpoint exactly where a student has excelled and where sh/e needs further work.
  5. Making the course make sense: By tying rubrics to both general course objectives and specific assignment requirements, we cerate a more logical, intelligible, cohesive learning environment. Students see and understand the big picture, specific activities, and how the two fit together.

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