ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the concepts of reliability and validity in the context of rubric design and use. It comprises four sections. The first section explains the concept of reliability and emphasizes its role in quality scoring. The second section discusses the notion of validity and foregrounds the importance of appropriate test-score interpretations and responsible decision-making. The third section explores the relationship between reliability, validity and other assessment qualities (i.e., fairness and practicality). The last section introduces qualitative and quantitative methods commonly used to examine the functioning of rubrics. Through explication of the relevant concepts, it is hoped that this chapter is useful to the relevant stakeholders (e.g., test developers, test users and decision makers) in their implementation and investigation of rubric-based assessments.
