Rubric-to-Outcome Coherence Check

Overview:

Tool: NotebookLM* 

Time: 20 min 

What you need: one learning outcome, its corresponding assignment directions, and its rubric

How to do it:

1. Pick a highest-stakes assessment in your course. Pull up the learning outcome(s) it is supposed to measure, the assignment prompt, and the rubric.
2. Open NotebookLM and upload all three sources.

3. Paste the prompt below:

   "Here is a learning outcome, the corresponding assignment description, and the rubric I use to grade it. Does the rubric actually measure what the outcome asks for? Are there rubric categories that reward things the outcome does not mention? Are there aspects of the outcome that the rubric does not measure at all?"

4. Pay particular attention to any rubric categories NotebookLM flags as measuring things not mentioned in the outcome. These often reveal implicit values you hold about quality that might be worth making explicit to students.

Notes: 

This activity is most useful on your highest-stakes assessments. Disciplinary judgment about what quality looks like in your field cannot be replaced by AI analysis. Use this activity as a prompt for reflection, not as a verdict.

For rubric redesign support, connect with a member of the TLTC's Academic Innovation team.

*We encourage you to exclusively use UMD-approved GenAI tools, which are deployed in alignment with institutional security and compliance requirements.