Rubrics which establish criteria for met goals in a course enable teachers to infer students' knowledge skill and understanding. Rubrics codify evidence provided by student performance and ensure that it aligns with course goals.
Rubrics can be used to communicate to students how various assignments in a course contribute to acquiring the learning objectives of a course. Teachers can assign weights to each assignment implying that the criteria that those assignments are tied to are also tied to different levels of quality proficiency and understanding which have been described and distinguished from one another.
Rubrics also provide a feedback loop to teachers. By being used to evaluate students' work and defining each differentiated level of understanding within them rubrics allow for iteration and sharpening of course objectives.