Before I started using art rubrics, I used to feel overwhelmed when it came time to grade students’ artwork. Since then I have created a rubric for every lesson I teach and it brings comfort to both myself and my students. Here is why I think rubrics are important, how to use them and how to create a rubric.
Benefits of Rubrics
Rubrics are great for providing feedback to students in a timely manner. If I do not see evidence of the student meeting the criteria, the student loses points in that specific category. I also provide a specific comment for the areas that need improvement. I also believe rubrics reduce subjectivity, which is important with art as it can be very subjective. Therefore, using the rubric increases objectivity and reduces my time grading time. I use the same four criteria on all my rubrics, which demystifies the learning goals and expectations. I reuse rubrics semester after semester, which also helps save time in the long run.
How to Use Art Rubrics
I provide my students with the rubric of expectations at the beginning of each lesson. Like I said, the categories stay the same for each lesson, but the lesson objectives change. I include the rubric in each of my PowerPoints and project the rubric during class to provide the students with the visual reference of the rubric. I return the completed rubrics to the students after each lesson. This allows them to reflect on how they can make improvements to future artwork.
Rubric Criteria
I use the following criteria for my rubrics.
Understanding Knowledge
This most often relates to the art history or content students are learning during the lesson. For example, students are creating a landscape inspired by Alma Thomas. Then students are provided with information about Alma Thomas, her painting style and the terms associated with landscapes. The assessment can be summative or formative based on the artwork created.
Developing Skills
This is the art technique taught during the lesson. Students demonstrate an understanding of creating depth in a landscape painting using size, color, texture, etc. It may also include creating a painting in a similar style as the featured artist Alma Thomas.
Creativity
I think this is the most important criteria. I always propose every lesson as a creative problem the students are solving and encourage them not to copy my example or student examples, instead be inspired by what they see.
Craftsmanship and Effort
It doesn’t take long before I know each and every student’s personal best. They are told this at the beginning of the year. Students are encouraged to use the entire time given to create art that exceeds expectations. If the artwork looks like it is not meeting their personal best or if they did not use all class time available for this lesson, their effort grade will reflect these choices.
Craftsmanship is the neatness and care students put into finishing their work of art. For example, my students know that means erasing unnecessary pencil lines, cutting to create clean edges or painting in one direction to eliminate unwanted brushstrokes. I always provide examples of how students can be mindful of their craftsmanship with each medium we use.
How to Create Art Rubrics
There are many rubric generator websites available and I have tried several. Many times I feel the rubric generators are not easy to use or not applicable to art. However, I found the easiest way to create my own rubric is to use a word processing program that allows me to create a table and insert rows and columns for my criteria and grading equivalents. I create 6 columns, then I use Excellent, Substantial, Adequate, Limited (and assigned point value for each) for my four measures of skills achieved and the last column is the Total. Next, the 6 rows are labeled Criteria and the previously described Knowing & Understanding, Developing Skills, Thinking Creatively, Effort & Craftsmanship and the Total. Using the coordinating measure of skill and criteria I change the description to apply. Lastly, I title each rubric so I can keep it organized and with each lesson. I print the rubric and place them at the tables for the duration of the lesson or have students use the rubric for self-assessment of the lesson. In addition, I take a screenshot to create a JPEG to insert into my lesson PowerPoints.
Art is very subjective, which can make grading a daunting task. However, now that I have created rubrics for every lesson, grading is less time consuming and provides me with more time for lesson prep. All of my TPT lessons include a printable rubric as well as a rubric included in the PowerPoint presentation.
Happy grading! – Trista
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