Labor-Based and/or Rubric-Based? Examining the Effects of a Hybrid Grading System in the Composition Classroom

Abstract

Abstract:

Both labor-based and rubric-based grading systems attempt to mitigate subjectivity in the assessment of writing, and while each method has their advantages, they also come with a slew of weaknesses. Scholars such as Asao B. Inoue, Laura Gibbs, and Denise Krane support labor-based grading because this method reinforces process pedagogy, which, Chris M. Anson comment, helps "students engage in their writing to develop self-efficacy, confidence, and strategies for meeting the challenges of multiple writing situations" (226). On the other end of the spectrum is rubric-based grading, which presents students with a set of clear rules that guide their writing process. Whatever the case, both labor-based and rubric-based grading methods fail to account for classroom ecology.