Rubric writing can be classified as decorated instructions or text that is highlighted to bring out important issues or points on various topics. This style of writing is usually depicted by bright color; the red ink is more popularly used. You will find this being used in documents from the middle ages (medieval), academic materials use mostly when teachers are grading papers and in more modern times it is said to be a scoring tool. It is easily noticeable when this style of writing is used as you will see the red ink penned in the documents.
This word rubric is said to derive from Latin word “rubrica” which means red chalk or red ochre. This popular style of writing can be traced back to the thirteenth century or earlier, when illuminated manuscripts that were written during the medieval times were done in this format. During this period these manuscripts included text that would be supplemented with different forms of decoration such as borders, miniature illustrations and initials that were decorated; mostly in gold or silver colors. Some of the documents that would have the red ink as highlight were the psalms with the initial capitals, the names and headings that were of significance in religious and rubrication practice.
The rubrication practice was one of the different stages in the medieval manuscript production. The persons who specialized in this practice were the scribes; they would take the text from the original scribe of the manuscript, supplement it with additional text and use the red ink for emphasis. Nowadays, the illuminated manuscript that is used in modern scholarships and for other common uses is referred to as anything that is illustrated or decorated from the western societies.
Rubric writing is used extensively in the academic system, especially when teachers are grading papers. This method is used in an attempt to define consistent appraisals standards. This permits the teachers and students to review the complex and subjective criteria and it also provide grounds for peer review, reflection and self-evaluation. This combination of feedbacks and performance is referred to as an ongoing assessment. This is meant to be an accurate and fair assessment as it fosters a better understanding and is a good indication of how best to proceed with teaching and learning in the future.
In more recent times it is referred extensively as a scoring tool that is designed for assessments that are not impartial. Rubrics make the process of grading more transparent and simpler as it facilitates evaluation in a more consistent manner; this is done according to a criterion that is set in specified areas. These set of standards and criteria is linked to the objectives of learning that is used to evaluate the students performances on projects, papers, essays and any other assignments that is given to them.
This style has increased extensively all over as numerous instructors are now relying on it when doing students evaluations. However, it is said that majority of the time the student is not aware of it being used as the teachers only share the rubric after the assignment is made. It was stated somewhere that “when the students is informed of the grading criteria from the start, they can become more successful as they are more involved with the process”.
Rubric writing is said to be more effective for both the teachers and students when the information is shared. This is helps the students to understand how the assignments will relate to the course content and through transparency it also increases their confidence in the classroom. While for the teachers it reduces the time that they would spend grading the students work.  View A Rubric Writing Essay |