Evaluating Resources - Rubrics for Students: Why a rubric for a Works Cited page?

Your Information Literacy assessment should address at least 1 of the following: 

• Determine when information is needed and find it efficiently using a variety of reference sources.
• Evaluate the quality of the information.
• Use the information effectively for an appropriate purpose.
• Employ appropriate technologies to create an information-based product.
• Use information ethically and legally.

These activities relate to the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education from the American Library Association. When you create a rubric that assesses 1 or more of these activities, you are assessing the information literacy skills of your students.

Students reliance on Google has clearly replaced the more traditional approaches to research. Rubrics can be a practical tool for developing student information literacy and critical thinking skills.

• Rubrics apply the same, preset criteria to each Works Cited page being assessed. 
• Because rubrics are ordinarily shared in advance, it assists the students in evaluating if a source is appropriate for their assignment
• Immediate feedback for the student. By self-assessing their sources, students can evaluate if their research is appropriate to use before they turn in the first draft.
• Using the same rubric for each Works Cited page assignment enables comparisons throughout the semester

Website evaluation rubrics are great for teaching students how to analyze and grade the academic quality of Internet sources. Students can use a rubric to practice reviewing websites for 5 evaluative criteria:

1. Authority
2. Educational Value
3. Intent
4. Originality
5. Quality

Rubrics will help students hone their critical thinking skills as they discuss and review the components of academic-level sources.