A new view on rubrics: an eye tracking study of formative rubric feedback

Rubrics can help generate internal feedback by acting as an external information source. In this study we used eye tracking to gain insight into what information students look at when receiving formative rubric feedback. During a subsequent stimulated recall, the students’ recorded eye movements were discussed to uncover the cognitive processes that are taking place while viewing the rubric. The results show that all students study their supervisor’s feedback and that within student viewing behavior is quite constant. Differences between students lie especially in whether other than the scored quality descriptors are considered. Reasons mentioned by students to study rubric elements are being surprised by the supervisor judgement, having difficulty understanding, and wanting to know how to improve. Their cognitive processes reveal that they also try to understand how supervisors came to their judgement and to value their feedback. Our study underlines the importance of comparisons that students make when studying rubric feedback, as posited in Nicol’s theory of internal feedback generation. This eye-tracking study also reveals that although rubrics provide many sources of information for students to learn, not all information is considered by all students. This highlights the importance of making students and teachers aware of using all the information rubrics have to offer.