Development and Validation of a Creativity Assessment Rubric for Evaluating Student Projects in Higher Education

Abstract

Background. Educators in higher education lack psychometrically validated instruments for assessing student creative output, even though creativity is recognized as a core 21st-century competency.

Objective. This study aimed to develop and validate the Creative Output Assessment Rubric (COAR) for evaluating student creative projects in university settings.

Methods. We used a multi-phase instrument development design at a private university in Palembang, Indonesia, during the 2023/2024 academic year. The phases were item genera-tion and expert review (n = 8; S-CVI/Ave = 0.92), pilot testing (n = 45), exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 215), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in an independent sample (n = 220).

Results. A five-factor structure of 22 items (Originality, Elaboration, Flexibility, Aesthetic Quality, and Technical Execution) was confirmed and explained 67.4% of total variance. The confirmatory model showed good fit (CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.048). Internal con-sistency was strong (Cronbach's α = 0.93; McDonald's ω = 0.94), inter-rater reliability was adequate (ICC = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.79–0.88), and a significant correlation with independent expert ratings supported criterion validity (r = 0.74; p < 0.001). Configural measurement invariance held across four academic faculties.

Conclusion. The COAR showed good evidence of validity and reliability for assessing stu-dent creative output in this sample. It gives educators a validated scoring framework for the formative and summative evaluation of creative work, pending replication in other settings.