So what is a rubric? Generally rubrics specify the level of performance expected for several levels of quality. These levels of quality may be written as descriptive ratings (e.g., Excellent, Good, Needs Improvement) or as numerical scores (e.g., 4, 3, 2, 1) which are then added up to form a total score associated with a grade (e.g., A, B, C, etc).

So why use a rubric? Rubrics can help students and teachers define "quality". For a teacher, it serves as a target for which the student should strive in order to obtain a good grade. The rubric lays out a teacher’s expectations on what an exemplary project contains. For a student, rubrics offer a platform from which the student may begin his or her project. With a rubric as a guide, students receive clarity of the assignment and do not feel so overwhelmed by the massiveness of a given project.

And yet, like so many other things, there is a catch. Rubrics are time consuming and difficult for teachers to make. That is the exact reason why the Advanced Learning Technologies (ALTEC) grant decided to extend a hand to these already overworked and time-pressured teachers. Thus RubiStar was created.

RubiStar is a free online tool that allows educators to create completely customizable rubrics in English and Spanish. Rubric results can also be tallied later to analyze student content learning. This tool is one of the fastest growing, and most popular ALTEC tools. The time saved and headaches relieved by using RubiStar are immeasurable and the appreciation from students, teachers, and administrators is simply put – fanatical.