Rubrics Enable Constructive Feedback

A pedagogically and developmentally appropriate rubric grounded in the learning goals for a unit or task is a necessary but insufficient condition of rubrics-for-learning. Another key aspect is that rubrics must be used for constructive feedback which students act on—by revising work, studying, thinking, and discussing, anything that moves students closer to the learning goal—as part of the formative learning cycle. This chapter begins by discussing rubric-referenced feedback as part of the formative learning cycle and the co-regulation of learning. That is followed by a discussion of the features of effective feedback and the roles rubrics play in supporting it. Then, examples are given of three types of constructive, rubric-referenced feedback: self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher feedback.