In conversations about assessment, rubrics are often treated as something peripheral. A pedagogical addon. A document you attach because you are supposed to. At UNIwise thic could at times seem like rubrics live a secret life on its own. However, in practice, a welldesigned rubric is one of the most powerful quality mechanisms an institution can put in place, and it should be used and celebrated more. Not because it looks tidy. But because it makes assessment fairer, more consistent, easier to operate at scale, and easier to defend.
At a time when assessment is under pressure, from larger cohorts, multiple markers, tighter turnaround requirements and increasing scrutiny of grading decisions, rubrics are quietly doing work that no technology feature can compensate for.