Subjective Grading with Objective Criteria

I envy those instructors who teach math, science, computer science, or other courses where criteria are objective and relatively easy to assess. 2 + 2 = 4. The student gets it right, or not. Even with English grammar and spelling, the instructor can grade with quantitative criteria, counting mistakes and correcting errors.

It's not that easy, in my opinion, when the subject is music, art, television or film. Beauty, being in the eye of the beholder, can be a "C" in one instructor's gradebook but an "A" in another one. How does one make a subjective experience like grading art an objective one? There is no perfect answer but one can apply quantifiable criteria in the form of a rubric. In a Blackboard class, the rubric is called a grading form.

Here's an example. I teach a class in video post-production; video editing in other words. In examining a student's work I can break down grading into performance-based criteria derived from accepted practice in the field. Applied to a grading form, the rubric can look something like this:

You may note that the points value adds up conveniently to a maximum of 10. I could add more criteria, and increase the range of possibilities that separate an "A" from a "B" and so on. But the main thing this does for me is impart some objectivity to what is primarily a very subjective experience: grading something artistic.

Having a rubric such as this, and sharing it with the students also increases clarity of expectations, which can't hurt.

Rubrics can even be created to combat lethargy or complacency in class. Criteria for participation could include "punctuality," "listening attentiveness," "follows directions," "teamwork (for collaborative situations)," and "technological distractions (put that smartphone away!)". In whatever way you wish to use rubrics, they can be a huge assistance in grading a student's work and in setting expectations.