iRubric for General Education Assessments

General Education (Gen Ed) assessments are at the core of institutional quality, ensuring that students graduate with the essential skills and knowledge that define a well-rounded education. They’re also critical for accreditation and for internal research into teaching and learning effectiveness.

While most institutions agree on the importance of Gen Ed assessment, the how can vary widely. Choosing the right approach often means balancing ease of implementation, fairness, reporting capabilities, and integration with existing systems.

iRubric provides multiple modes of Gen Ed assessment—flexible enough to match your institution’s needs, yet structured enough to deliver valid, actionable data.

Multiple Modes of Gen Ed Assessment in iRubric

1. In-Course Assessment by Instructors

This is the most common starting point for Gen Ed assessment. Instructors assess students within their courses, often using a centralized institutional rubric or their own rubric aligned to institutional Gen Ed outcomes.

Pros

• Easiest to start – minimal changes to workflows

• Seamless integration with LMS (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle)

• Students can be given access to their results for transparency

Cons

• Single-rater model introduces the possibility of bias

• Results may reflect instructor grading style rather than purely institutional standards

Best for: Institutions wanting a fast, low-barrier start to Gen Ed assessment without extra coordination.

2. Secondary, Independent, Multi-Rater Assessments

For a more rigorous, research-grade approach, iRubric enables secondary assessments—often blind—by one or more raters who are not the original instructor. These use institutional rubrics to ensure standardization.

Key Features

• Minimal bias due to independent raters

• Blind assessment options for objectivity

• Multi-rater setup with the ability to reach consensus

• Inter-rater reliability reports for data validity

• Works with past student submissions or manually uploaded files

• Compatible with LMS integration for streamlined file transfer (especially with Canvas and Blackboard)

• Supports live performance assessments as well as digital submissions

Best for: Institutions seeking high reliability, accreditation-ready data, and the ability to analyze rater consistency.

Comparison: In-Course vs. Secondary Multi-Rater Assessment

Why iRubric is Ideal for Gen Ed Assessments

Whether you start with in-course assessments for speed or move directly to secondary multi-rater evaluations for rigor, iRubric ensures:

• Alignment with institutional Gen Ed outcomes

• Streamlined workflows through LMS integration

• Powerful reporting tools for accreditation and improvement planning

• Flexible deployment for digital or live performance assessments

With iRubric, your institution can meet Gen Ed assessment requirements, improve educational quality, and maintain the evidence needed for accreditation—all in one platform.