It conveys the expectations up front so students understand how they will be evaluated and so that they can construct their assignments to meet expectations and objectives.
Rubrics also offer a feature of objectivity to the grading process but they need to be valid and reliable.
Simone,
Meaningful and specific is exactly the kind of feedback students need. You are helping them improve and move toward the learning outcomes. Nice job.
Anthony,
Yes, so your students are learning from the feedback and you are helping them understand how they can improve. Nice job.
By using analytic rubrics, you are providing meaningful and specific feedback along the dimensions of the assignment. In addition, it allows you to be more consistent in scoring the students. It makes it easier to share information with students on their strengths and/or weaknesses. Finally, it helps them to better understand the nature of quality work.
Dr. Tena Crews,
They allow me to give the students specific feedback on particular areas, so they have a better understanding of which areas within the assignments they need to work on and which areas they are beginning to master.
I have also found they help me keep my grading more consistent and focused on the learning objectives that the assignments were designed for.
Tammy,
Good point. We (the instructor and the students) can all benefit from such well-designed rubrics. Thanks!
An analytical rubric is advantageous to both students and instructors. It makes grading for instructors both easier and consistent.It also provides feedback to evaluate the teaching methods used. It provides guidance to students on exactly what is expected from them on the assignment.
Carolyn,
Great. Anything we can to to enhance students and that the students like/love, is excellent. We all have a better understanding from the use of rubrics. Nice job.
I use Rubrics in my classroom all the time. I have found since I started using them and posting them in my grade book when I post their grades my students LOVE it. I have found that when they see the rubric showing any points missed then have a better understanding.
Jason,
Any time we can use one tool to assist the students and help us learn more about how to improve the course, the better. Thanks.
Rubrics can be great when created well. Analytic rubrics ensure consistency in grading and help reduce students from thinking there might be a bias towards their work. If you use an analytic rubric when grading, students can easily see what they have done well and what they need to improve on using the specific components of the analytic rubric. I think it also helps instructors when grading because it helps them stay focused on the important elements of each assignment. Instructors can also use well written analytic rubrics to shape their lectures, and stay on track throughout each part of the course. They can use an analytic rubrics to adjust their course if they find their students aren't grasping certain components.
Melissa,
The time saving benefit is awesome and when students understand the expectations better, the more likely they will reach the objectives. Thanks for your input.
Analytic rubrics help to provide more specific expectations to the students as they complete the work (so long as they receive the rubric ahead of time). They also help the instructor by having detailed comments developed right in the assessment tool. This can save time when grading assignments that are detail focused. ~Melissa
Christina,
I love it when students learn how to self-assess using the rubric before I use the rubrics for assessment as well. Thanks for your input.
Some of the advantages of using analytical rubrics are students being able to self-assess their own work prior to submitting it and then are given specific feedback on where they need to improve. This allows student to use the grading rubric as a reference when completing assignments to ensure they have completed all elements of the assignment as instructed. I always include each assignments rubric in my weekly chats and inform students to use the rubric as a guide while they complete their assignment. Students have told me that they like the consistency of the grading when rubrics are used effectively by instructors.
Jeannie,
You have found what works for you and your students. It's good that they appreciate what you are doing for them. Nice job.
I have always used an analytic rubric in my courses. I have found that it is a great way to provide feedback to my students, and it is also a consistent way to provide feedback. I email a copy of my grading rubric to my students ahead of time so that they know exactly how they will be graded. My stellar students definitely pay attention to this, and my struggling students generally improve after the first to second assignments. By breaking down the grading feedback and providing both a numberic and written feedback, I have found that this greatly helps the students and they appreciate the feedback!
Kathy,
Ah - milestones. Good point. Breaking down those important parts into categories/areas helps both the instructor and the students. Keep teaching as I love a good massage! ;-) Thanks!
I've used a rubric for a few specific purposes and they are so great to be able to focus your attention to certain skills and milestones. I teach massage and it can be a very difficult thing to assess if you can't break down all the important parts in to categories and areas. Rubrics have completely saved the day in providing more accurate grading and much needed feedback to the students. I look forward to learning more about rubrics and developing them for more assignments. Thank you.
Zillery,
Ah - the consistency. All instructors are doing it the sam way every time. That's beneficial to the students as well. Nice job.
