Are your students capable of better quality work than their current submissions? Are you searching for a way to end the rough-is-my-final-draft pandemic? Are you ready to maximize the impact of your rubrics? Join us as we explore the anatomy of a scaffolded rubric to transform one of your own!
There are multiple benefits of rubric use, including increased grading consistency and accuracy (Gezie, Khaja, Chang, Adamek, & Johnsen, 2012; Hack, 2015), built-in scaffolding for complex assignments (Gezie et al., 2012; Hack, 2015), improved feedback facilitation (Gezie et al., 2012; Hack, 2015; Nordrum, Evans, & Gustafsson, 2013), opportunities for learner self-reflection and other metacognitive activities (Gezie et al., 2012; Hack, 2015; Lipnevich, McCallen, Miles, & Smith, 2014; Stupans, March, & Owen, 2013), and relevant avenues for clarifying criteria (Brookhart, 2013; Gezie et al., 2012; Nordrum et al., 2013; Stupans, March, & Owen, 2013). In other words, rubrics can help your students think about what they submit before and after they do so, helping to instill a sense of pride in the continued quality of their work. To reap these benefits, recent research guides us in best practices for both designing and implementing rubrics in our courses:
Function
We should design our rubrics so that their function provides opportunities for instructor-learner interaction, promotes reflection, and actively informs instruction using the data collected (Edens, & Shields, 2015).
Performance levels
We should ensure the performance levels describe the continuum of conceptual understanding (Edens, & Shields, 2015).
Descriptors
We should craft the descriptors so that they clarify each criterion in context of the assignment (Ashton, & Davies, 2015; Jonsson, 2014) and define the product we expect to see at each level, without judgment statements and without so much detail that it becomes a narrative checklist (Brookhart, & Chen, 2015; Gezie et al., 2012; Nordrum et al., 2013).
Supplementary materials
We should include supplementary materials that provide guiding questions, samples, or models for each descriptor (Ashton, & Davies, 2015; Gezie et al., 2012; Hornton, 2016; Jonsson, 2014; Lipnevich et al. 2014) and provide strategies or resources to help guide learners toward mastery (Hornton, 2016; Lipnevich et al., 2014).
Feedback
Our corresponding feedback should describe the learner’s current state of performance (Edens, & Shields, 2015; Lipnevich et al., 2014) and describe actions that will lead learners to the next desired state of performance (Brookhart, 2013; Lipnevich et al., 2014).
Some researchers have delved even deeper into the exceptionality of effective rubrics and provided guidelines for maximizing their impact throughout our courses. Gezie et al. (2012) recommend that we provide our learners with the rubric before the assignment is evaluated to act as a guide for their own self-monitoring and learning. Lipnevich et al. (2014) suggest the most effective rubrics are formative in nature, omitting both praise and the relationship to a grade. Nordrum et al. (2013) and Lipnevich et al. (2014) advise that we use our rubrics in conjunction with written feedback, as they complement each other for maximum impact. Nordrum et al. (2013) even advocate that rubric-articulated feedback should be provided in the early and final stages of a project, with more concrete written feedback provided during the revision period. Brookhart (2013) argues that learners ought to immediately apply feedback received; this could take the form of a second draft, a reflection, a peer review activity, or any other metacognitive activity (Jonsson, 2014). And finally, Gezie et al. (2012) remind us that our first rubric iterations will need refining, so we should remain open to the idea of the same continuous improvement we expect of our learners.
This is our calling as educators: to guide our learners from what they think they know through the disciplinary thinking of our fields and into the infinite wonder of the future and all it holds for them as professionals. Let your rubrics help.
In this session, we will apply these best practices to one of your very own rubrics.
Our goals for this workshop are for you to be able to:
- Apply best practices in rubric design
- Plan for best practices in rubric implementation
We will look at 3 of the 10 rubric design best practices mentioned above in depth with quick overviews, opportunities to discuss with your peers, brainstorming exercises, and time to apply each to your rubrics with two experienced Instructional Designers to guide your efforts. You will be given a resource to take with you that provides more information on the other guidelines and research conclusions presented here.
To get the most out of this session, be sure to bring a rubric you plan on using in an upcoming module or term. It would be ideal to bring a range of samples from previous submissions, if they are available.
Together, we can support your learners’ growth with scaffolds that both stimulate and accelerate.
References
Ashton, S., & Davies, R. S. (2015). Using scaffolded rubrics to improve peer assessment in a MOOC writing course. Distance Education, 36(3), 312-334.
Brookhart, S. M. (2013). Assessing creativity. Educational Leadership, 70(5), 28-34.
Brookhart, S. M., & Chen, F. (2015). The quality and effectiveness of descriptive rubrics. Educational Review, 67(3), 343-368.
Edens, K., & Shields, C. (2015). A Vygotskian approach to promote and formatively assess academic concept learning. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(7), 928-942.
Gezie, A., Khaja, K., Chang, V. N., Adamek, M. E., & Johnsen, M. B. (2012). Rubrics as a tool for learning and assessment: What do baccalaureate students think? Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 32(4), 421-437.
Hack, C. (2015). Analytical rubrics in higher education: A repository of empirical data. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 924-927.
Hornton, A. (2016, July 12). How to get from a rubric to scaffolding. Retrieved from https://literacyforliving.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/how-to-get-from-a-rubric-to- scaffolding/
Jonsson, A. (2014). Rubrics a a way of providing transparency in assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(7), 840-852.
Lipnevich, A. A., McCallen, L. N., Miles, K. P., & Smith, J. K. (2014). Mind the gap! Students' use of exemplars and detailed rubrics as formative assessment. Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, 42(4), 539-559.
Nordrum, L., Evans, K., & Gustafsson, M. (2013). Comparing student learning experiences of in-text commentary and rubric-articulated feedback: Strategies for formative assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(8), 919-940.
Stupans, I., March, G., & Owen, S. M. (2013). Enhancing learning in clinical placements: reflective practice, self-assessment, rubrics and scaffolding. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(5), 507-519