The assessment and evaluation of students' work in architectural design studios are critical aspects of architectural education. Evaluations play a vital role in providing feedback, measuring progress, and shaping students' development as future architects. However, the traditional subjective evaluation methods have often led to inconsistent assessments and subjective judgments, calling for more objective and structured approaches. In recent years, the integration of rubrics in the assessment process has gained prominence as a means to address these challenges.
This literature review aims to examine the existing research and literature on the use of rubrics in architectural education and highlight the potential benefits and limitations of incorporating digital tools to facilitate their implementation.
Project Evaluation Challenges in Architectural Education
In design education, evaluation is crucial for the knowledge transmitter as well as the information receiver. Students must be aware of their learning levels, strengths, weaknesses, areas for progress, knowledge gaps that call for further work, and abilities that require additional honing (Hickman, 2007). Additionally, educators must assess the success of their instructional methods and the level of student learning (Rayment, 2007).
It has been argued that including students in the shared evaluation experience will strengthen the operative knowledge transition of assessment criteria into high-quality outputs (Thomson, 2007). Student participation in the assessment and evaluation procedures is essential for enhancing students' learning abilities. Additionally, such participation offers an invaluable feedback source to guide the creation and improvement of instructional strategies (Huxham et al., 2017).
One of the most popular conventions for evaluating design projects is the jury format, particularly in the field of architectural design education. It serves as the main channel of communication between critics and students (Murphy et al., 2012). The most known performative level of design education is conducted in this manner simultaneously with assessment (Webster, 2006).
A rubric is a scoring method to evaluate students’ works in the design studio. Rubrics provide a standardized evaluation by predetermined criteria, simplifying and increasing transparency in grading. Rubrics give both teachers and students a platform for self-evaluation. They aim to provide an accurate and fair evaluation, promote comprehension, and provide guidance for further learning and instruction. This combination of performance and feedback is referred to as ongoing assessment (El Rafie & El Gammal, 2011).
Rubrics are a valuable tool for educators to communicate their expectations to students. They offer guidance on how students can achieve those expectations, assist students in assessing the quality of their work, and pinpoint the specific criteria instructors use to differentiate between performance levels. Rubrics also serve as beneficial records of quality when evaluating educational institutions for accreditation and ranking improvements. When multiple people are involved in performance evaluation, rubrics help to enhance grading consistency and objectivity by standardizing the assessment process. If there are similarities in the comments provided to students regarding their performance flaws or excellence, this can help reduce the time it takes to grade.
The rubrics assessment method used in design research evaluation consists of two stages. The main goal of the first stage is to elicit vocally articulated qualities. The primary function of the second is the numerical scaling of the first-formulated qualities. Prioritization is a normative ranking strategy that is most often used to give weights for a collection of non-numerical criteria according to their subjective value when evaluating intangible traits (Saaty, 1977).
Jones (1996) mentions several problems related to the jury system. These are partly related to the nature of design projects, such as multiple possibilities of approaching design problems, the possibility of using different scales of projects, different building types and materials, and different presentation techniques. Additional problems are related to the members of the jury, their preparation, and their likes and dislikes.
To solve problems related to Jury system, rubrics can be used to enhance student learning outcomes, improve communication between instructors and students, and foster self-assessment and reflection (El Rafie & El Gammal, 2011). By providing a structured framework for assessment, rubrics guide students toward achieving desired performance levels and promote a deeper understanding of architectural design principles.