The UM information literacy rubric creates a shared understanding of what is expected from students at different levels of information literacy development. The rubric starts from Intended Learning Objectives (ILOs) that include the level of information literacy attitudes and knowledge practices, which students acquire over time. The content of the rubric ILOs builds on the dimensions and sub-dimensions of the UM information literacy framework.

The developmental rubric is structured into four levels: (1) Novice, (2) Intermediate, (3) Competent, and (4) Advanced (see example below). These levels demonstrate the differentiation of attitudes, knowledge level, and skills level between a novice and an advanced bachelor student in a specific area of information literacy.

A rubric manual outlines different scenarios for implementing the rubric ILOs into bachelor programs and courses, following the constructive alignment approach.