Rubrics
If you are assessing students’ information and research literacies, it is important to be clear in the marking rubric the elements you will be assessing. They can be incorporated independently or blended with other GLOs to integrate multiple skills in the same assessment.
The sample rubrics below can be used and adapted to suit your assessment task.
Use of resources outside the set readings
This rubric might be used when you have the expectation that students will use resources outside their set readings.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of search strategies to explore & define the topic. | A wide variety of scholarly, topical & cross disciplinary sources have been read & annotated demonstrating skilled & creative searching strategies. | A variety of scholarly, evidence based sources from cross disciplinary areas have been used. | Sources include not only set text & given references but a selection of scholarly articles demonstrating some searching along conventional topic areas. | Sources largely rely on set texts, given references & limited search strategies. | No evidence of searching beyond the set texts. |
Evaluation of resources
This rubric might be employed when students have had to justify their resource selection – e.g., an annotated bibliography, a literature review. A similar rubric may also be used when students are asked to comment on the work of other students – peer-reviewed draft essay, commentary on resources posted on a padlet.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation and justification of selected information. | Justification of selections demonstrates sophisticated use of evaluation criteria and deep understanding of the topic. | Justification of selections demonstrates good use of multiple evaluation criteria and an understanding of the topic. | Justification of selections shows evaluation criteria have been applied, and evidence of some straightforward linkage between ideas within the topic. | Sources are relevant to the topic but there is limited justification or evidence that evaluation criteria have been applied. Limited connection between ideas within topics. | Sources cited are not scholarly. No connection drawn between ideas. |
Types of resources used
This rubric might be useful if you have stated in the task that students must use a certain number of scholarly or professional resources.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use of professional and scholarly sources of information. | Professional and scholarly resources have been used, integrated into the student’s answers seamlessly. All of the resources used have been cited correctly in-text and in the reference list. | Relevant professional and scholarly resources have been used to answer the questions about the chosen area well. They have been cited correctly throughout. | Appropriate professional and scholarly resources have been used in the report. They are correctly cited throughout the report and in the reference list. | The professional and scholarly resources are mostly relevant and of sufficient level to answer the questions about the area of information work chosen. The resources are mostly cited correctly in-text and in the reference list. | Resources used are unsatisfactory. There may be no scholarly resources at all. The resources may not have been used or cited appropriately in the report. |
Legal and ethical use of information.
This rubric may be used if the task requires students to use existing resources to create new one – e.g., sharing resources they’ve found in their search – using a link instead of posting a PDF.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal and ethical use of information. | Creates new work or synthesizes and summarizes to create new knowledge, without compromising intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions. Maintains academic integrity in their own work and the works of others. | Synthesizes and summarizes without compromising intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions. Maintains academic integrity in their own work and the works of others. | Isolated incident of unintentional misuse of others work due to misunderstanding of a single concept (e.g. misunderstanding paraphrasing, quoting, open access or creative commons, copyright etc.). | Repeated incidents of unintentional misuse of others work due to misunderstanding of a single concept (e.g. misunderstanding paraphrasing, quoting, open access or creative commons, copyright etc.). | Consistent incidents of unintentional plagiarism/ misuse of works of others showing little understanding of intellectual property rights, copyright, or licensing restrictions. |
Use of technology to organise, share and communicate information.
This rubric might be used when students have been asked to present an infographic, a subject bibliography or a wiki on a topic.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selection and use of contemporary technologies to access, organise, share and communicate information. | Use of technology demonstrates sophisticated understanding and features have be utilised to full potential. Elegant user-centred structure, classification and organisation of information with multiple search, browse, and access points. Maintains academic integrity without compromising intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions. | Use of technology demonstrates good understanding and most features have been used to create an engaging digital information resource. Effective, user-centred structure, classification and organisation of information with options to search and browse, multiple access points provided. Maintains academic integrity without compromising intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions. | Use of technology demonstrates some understanding and some features have been used to create a useful digital information resource. Clear, user-centred structure, classification and organisation of information with more than one option to search, browse or access. Maintains academic integrity without compromising intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions. | Use of technology demonstrates limited understanding. Only basic features have been used to create an adequate digital information resource. Simple structure, classification and organisation of information, possibly only one option to search, browse or access. Intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions have been met. | Very limited, unsuitable digital resource selected. No structure, classification and organisation of information. No search, browse or access points provided to user. Intellectual property rights, copyright, or licencing restrictions have been breached. |
Integrated Academic Literacy and Information Literacy grading rubric.
This rubric might be used when you are combining the writing and use of resources into one rubric element.
| Marking Criterion | HD | DI | CR | PS | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demonstrate the skills necessary to identify, locate, understand, interprete, critically evaluate and communicate information effectively according to the context | Critically evaluates and structures ideas and information in a format that engages and informs the intended reader/listener through a compelling, comprehensive, well-articulated argument. Seemlessly integrates a wide range of critically evaluated, relevant, professional and scholarly sources demonstrating skilled and creative searching strategies. | Selects, analyses, synthesizes and structures ideas in a format that engages and informs the intended reader/listener through a credible, comprehensive, clear and carefully constructed argument.Supported by a range of relevant professional and scholarly sources, demonstrating multiple evaluation criteria and searching techniques | Selects, applies and structures ideas in a format that provides the reader/listener with a clearly discernable and logically-sequenced argument relevant to the audience, purpose and context , incorporating a ersonal voice and/or original ideas.Supported by a selection of scholarly and professional sources outside the module readings demonstrating comprehensive and focused searching and evaluation of relevance and credibility. | Presents limited information in a structure and format appropriate to the audience, purpose and context. Linked to a limited selection of sources demonstrating comprehensive and focused searching and evaluation of relevance and credibility. | Does not meet the standard required for a Pass. |