How to Adapt a Rubric
What to Consider
Exploring sample rubrics that are available online or provided by your department, fellow colleagues, field experts, or reference guides can give you a sense of what makes a strong rubric or what a rubric might look like for a specific type of assignment.
Two factors are important to consider when adapting a rubric:
- Time: does using the existing rubric save time?
- Suitability: does the existing rubric meet the assignment objectives?
If the existing rubric meets these criteria, then it is worth examining for possible application.
Rubric Examples
- AAC&U VALUE Rubrics cover a range of areas. Particularly helpful for assignments where criteria seem difficult to standardize—such as in creative work.
- The Eberly Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s rubrics page includes samples for papers, projects, oral presentations, and class participation.
- Rubric Examples from the New School and beyond
Adapted from Syracuse University and George Washington University.