A Faculty's Journey Behind the Gradebook
Professor Daytona stood at her desk late one evening, surrounded by a sea of paper assignments and sticky-note reminders. She stared at her screen, wondering if students really understood what she expected from their work… or if she would have to decode another assignment that completely missed the point. Sound familiar?
We, as faculty, want our students to succeed, but sometimes unclear expectations become the very barrier we are trying to overcome. One of the most meaningful ways we can support student success is by ensuring that learners clearly understand why they are completing an assignment and how their work will be evaluated.
Professor Daytona realized that students perform better when they know the “why” behind an assignment.
But how can she give them a roadmap for assignments? She was frustrated with hours of grading..
Rubrics To Save The Day!
Rubrics are not just checkboxes…They are super-powered guidebooks for students and time savers for us. When students have a map, they’re far less likely to get lost.
Rubric Types
There are two types of rubrics you can create in Falcon Online: analytic or holistic.
| Analytic Rubric | Holistic Rubric |
|---|---|
| Defines performance expectations for each part of the assignment. | Gives general feedback on quality of the assignment. |
| Broken down by multiple criteria and performance levels. | One overall score. |
| Precise criteria can be intentionally aligned with course learning objectives. Less subjective. | Big picture assessment of assignments where creativity, synthesis, or overall impact are measured. More room for interpretation. |
Rubric Examples
Aligning Purpose with Practice
Aligning assignments with course learning objectives shifts learning from guessing to purposeful mastery. When we, as faculty, align grading tools with learning goals, we create a supportive learning environment.
- Students grow with confidence.
- Expectations are crystal clear.
- Assessment is more objective.
- Teaching is focused and intentional.
Students are more likely to engage when they see how their effort connects to real learning.
4 Easy Steps to Alignment
- Review the course learning objectives.
- Define performance criteria that reflect those objectives.
- Create rubric categories (e.g., content, delivery, analysis) that directly relate to the skills or knowledge in the objectives.
- Use descriptors that are specific, observable, and aligned with the level of learning expected.
Aligning the course learning objectives with the assessments also helps your course meet the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Quality Matters (QM) standards for supportive course design. Rubrics help strengthen clarity because the student can visualize success before they begin working.
The Academic Innovation team can help you build an effective rubric when you are ready
After using rubrics aligned with the course objectives, Professor Daytona noticed…
- Students were submitting stronger work
- Grading became faster and more consistent
- Feedback was easier and much more impactful
- Professor Daytona’s desk had fewer sticky notes declaring “Help!”
When students see a direct connection between what they are asked to do and the course learning objectives, their motivation increases, and their performance improves.
Turning grading chaos into clarity, one rubric at a time!
As educators, our goal is not only to assess student work but to guide students in their learning journey. Integrating course learning objectives and aligned rubrics in Falcon Online is a simple yet powerful step toward creating a supportive and clearly defined learning environment. Let’s work together to make our courses more effective, student-centered, and transparent!
Contributing Authors
Roulana Murad, MD
Assistant Professor, School of Biological and Physical Sciences
Roulana.Murad@daytonastate.edu
Tori Austin, Ph. D.
Senior Instructional Designer, Academic Innovation
References
Kramer, T.J., Concepcion, R., Miller, S., & Posell, K.V. (2019). WID Course Enhancements in STEM: The Impact of Adding “Writing Circles” and Writing Process Pedagogy. A Journal of Language, Learning and Academic Writing, 16(4), 26-38. https://wac.colostate.edu/docs/atd/articles/krameretal2019.pdf
Parlamento, S. (2025) Behind the Gradebook [Training presentation]. Academic Innovation Daytona State College, Daytona, FL, United States.