Thomas ,
Right on! It helps both the instructor and students. Thank you.
When you use Rubrics "effectively", they can be a very useful tool in communicating to students where they did well on a particular assignment and where they might need to focus on some more. It also helps and Instructor to grade "fairly" in that everyone is being measured the same way.
Tom
Amy,
And, the rubric helps the instructor. The key point you brought up about students though is to help them grow. Nice job.
Using a rubric benefits the student in several ways. One, viewing the rubric before completing the assignment allows the student to include all essential components of the task. Two, the rubric allows the student see the weak and high points of his or her assignment. Finally, a rubric provides an opportunity for growth.
Amy Branch
Michael,
I like the way you gave us a reality check. You describe many of our students and their needs. Thanks for helping us thing about this
As online instructors, it is incredibly important for us to use rubrics, so that the students understand exactly what we are looking for in each assignment.
As online instructors we need to think about the online learner who probably begins their assignments at 11:30 PM, and only has maybe an hour to spend on their work… and this student needs great clarity in order to make the limited amount of time they have available productive.
Keeping these busy adult learners in mind helps us to produce very clear assignment descriptions and Rubrics, so that our students know exactly what we are looking for.
Dr. Michael Crowley
Fred Boye, I see your point about the potential limited utility of rubrics in a creative environment, but keep in mind that you can create a "task-specific" rubric to evaluate a piece of art, by requiring the students to add at least 3 creative elements to their artwork, then use a 3-2-1-0 scale in your rubric.
Mike Crowley
David,
Even more reason why the criteria need to connect to and assess the learning outcomes. Thanks!
I too feel that for online education the use of Rubrics as not only a way to measure and judge a students word - but - it is a very effective method of illustrating to the student what the professors is looking for. I have had students tell me that they write their assignments with guidance from the Rubrics supplied.
Alaina,
I like the statement "so let's work on...". That is the point - that your feedback help the, improve. Excellent.
I have found that rubrics are even more important as an online instructor than when I taught on campus. Students tend to questions grade when they feel that their "effort" doesn't match the grade. Seeing in black and white really makes it hit home for the students that in college courses "effort" isn't a correct indicator of success. I always use the example, "What if the mechanic who put the brakes on your car "tried really hard" to do the right thing but installed them incorrectly"? After the huh?/ quizzical expressions and some explanation, they start to see the need for accuracy as a determination of success and not just "how hard a person tries." Analytical rubrics give me a chance to say, "This area is strong. This was okay, so let's work on __________. But in XYZ category, you really had trouble." The students can see where they are weak in an area and I can see what I may need to re-teach or at least re-visit when I lecture.
Ken,
And, they help the instructor be more consistent in grading. Thanks!
Francisco,
You are exactly right. Students must understand the expectations and have clear communication to help eliminate confusion. Thanks for your input.
Camesha,
No worries. We're still learning from everyone's postings.
Rubrics set the expectations for the assignments. The sutudent knows what is expected and the instructor declares what is important as far as grading requirements.
As an online Instructor, effective and timely communication is key to the delivery of the educational program. It is also critical that students understand the complete requirements of the online course and the manner in which they will be graded. To that end I think that the use of rubrics in online courses is an indispencible tool.
I really can't speak to other online universities, I was trying to make my response as generic as possible. Most often time, announcement boards and discussions boards are often one way communication; the instructor to the student. To have a dialogue, you can get that easily from a discussion of grades.
Sorry for the confusion.
Joseph ,
Right on. A well prepared rubric with essential criteria helps everyone. Nice job.
As an online instructor, I find that often we do not have sufficient opportunity to explain principles or what is expected on assignments in a class (even if there are live chat sessions, not everyone attends). Rubrics allow for additional and specific content on what the student is expected to know, explain, describe, create examples for and cite.
It is also useful for instructors when they see that students do not do well on an assignment, either individually or collectively. We can then review and perhaps modify the rubric to make it more explicit and informative. I am often asked by students, "What do I need to do on this assignment." If I have a well-prepared rubric and it is part of the classroom or syllabus, I can then send it or refer the student to it.
Camesha,
A good rapport comes from good communication and clear expectations. I'm not sure what you mean by "The ONLY contact an instructo will have with a student is through grading." What about discussion boards, email, etc.?
