As mentioned in an earlier post, students tend to prefer rubrics over written feedback. Which brings about the question, “How do I create a meaningful and useful rubric”? I describe a rubric as a teaching and assessment tool that brings accountability to both the instructor and student. Some ideas to get started are:
- Review examples of good and poor student work.
- Write clear objectives for the lesson or activity. The assessment criteria should match with the objectives.
- Find examples of other rubrics
- Keep criteria simple to emphasize what is being evaluated
There are a few challenges when first starting to work with rubrics. One particular challenge is the time it takes to create a rubric. One solution is to develop the rubric with students during class time. Giving the students the opportunity to contribute to their own success helps in creating a positive classroom environment and a more credible rubric. The added benefit is that grades do not need to be justified to students, as the grading criteria are self-explanatory. The end result is clear feedback to students, and less time spent grading those piles of assignments.
Creating and Using Rubrics for Student Assignments (http://tlc.ucalgary.ca/resources/library/creating_and_using_rubrics_for_…)
Andrade, H. G. (2000). Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning. Educational Leadership, 57(5), p 13-18. Retrieved March 3, 2009 fromhttp://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/coho103/using_rubrics.pdf
