01 · HOW TO USE IT
How to use this podcast rubric
Score each of the six criteria from 1 to 4, for a total out of 24. Share the rubric with students when you set the assignment, not when you grade it, so they know what good looks like before they start.
Adjust the weighting to match your learning goal. For a research project, double the content score. For a speaking and listening goal, double delivery. Keep audio quality light: you are assessing thinking and communication, not production skill.
- 4: Excellent
- 3: Proficient
- 2: Developing
- 1: Beginning
02 · CRITERION 1
Content and research
Does the episode show understanding of the topic, supported by accurate information?
- 4: Accurate, detailed and insightful; goes beyond the obvious with well-chosen evidence
- 3: Accurate and relevant, with enough evidence to support the main points
- 2: Mostly accurate but thin; some points lack support
- 1: Inaccurate or off-topic; little evidence of research
03 · CRITERION 2
Structure and script
Is the episode organised so a listener can follow it from start to finish?
- 4: Strong hook, clear introduction, logical segments and a memorable conclusion
- 3: Clear beginning, middle and end; transitions mostly work
- 2: Some structure, but the listener gets lost in places
- 1: No clear structure; ideas are disconnected
04 · CRITERION 3
Delivery and voice
Does the speaker sound clear, confident and engaged?
- 4: Natural, confident and expressive; pace and tone keep the listener interested
- 3: Clear and understandable; mostly natural pacing
- 2: Sometimes rushed, flat or read word for word
- 1: Hard to understand or follow
05 · CRITERION 4
Audio quality and editing
Can the listener hear everything without distraction?
- 4: Clean audio, consistent volume, mistakes and long pauses removed
- 3: Clear audio with minor issues that do not distract
- 2: Noticeable noise, volume changes or unedited mistakes
- 1: Audio problems make it hard to listen
06 · CRITERION 5
Creativity and audience engagement
Does the episode make a listener want to keep going?
- 4: Original angle, strong examples or interviews; clearly written for a listener
- 3: Some creative choices; holds attention most of the way
- 2: Predictable; reads like a report rather than an episode
- 1: No sense of audience
07 · CRITERION 6
Sources, credits and show notes
Are sources cited and the work credited properly?
- 4: All sources cited in show notes; music and interviews credited; permission obtained
- 3: Most sources cited; credits present
- 2: Some sources missing or incomplete
- 1: No sources or credits
08 · YOUNGER STUDENTS
A simplified rubric for elementary students
For younger students, use three questions and a smiley-face scale (great, good, not yet). Read the questions out loud before they record.
- Did I share facts about my topic?
- Did I speak clearly and slowly?
- Did my podcast have a beginning, middle and end?
Grade the episode, not the editing software.
Students record in the browser and edit by transcript in Hilite, so the rubric measures thinking, not technical skill.