Using rubrics to improve the assessment lifecycle: a case study

ABSTRACT This paper explores whether students’ learning outcomes can be improved through the use of self-assessment rubrics. Students on a computer programming module in a Higher Education Institution were required to complete a self-assessment using the same rubric as the assessors. Observing discrepancies between the grades the students were receiving, and the grades the students thought they should be receiving, the lecturers made improvements to the pedagogical approaches taken for some elements of the course by changing the format and focus of classroom activities. This resulted in both improved grades and improved self-regulation by students. The process was facilitated through a system created by the authors of the paper called SAFE (Self-Assessment Feedback and Evaluation Learner Lifecycle), which greatly enhances the learner feedback lifecycle of an assignment. The research corroborates existing studies around the importance of revisiting feedback both for assessor and student.