What purpose does a rubric serve in education?

A rubric serves as a scoring guide that provides clear criteria for evaluating student work. Its primary purpose is to facilitate fair and consistent assessment by outlining specific expectations for assignments or projects. This transparency helps students understand what is required of them and how their performance will be measured. By using a rubric, educators can offer structured feedback, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement, which in turn supports student learning and development.

While other options involve important aspects of the educational process, they do not directly relate to evaluation criteria for student performance. Outlining course policies, setting lesson objectives, or creating seating arrangements are relevant activities but do not serve the unique function of a rubric in assessing student learning.