Hello Lee,
I came across this problem with my Public Speaking class that I teach online. The rubrics were recently adjusted and decreased the amount of points that were allotted to APA formatting and spelling/grammar. This was done for two reasons. First, my class does not focus on writing assignments as much as other classes do. Second, my class is classified as a 100 class so many of my students are not familiar with APA formatting nor do they have strong writing skills.
This adjustment has allowed students to receive a more accurate grade on their assignments.
Janelle
One mistake I have noticed over and over in rubrics that have been provided to me is providing points for work that is not performed. Using a discussion rubric again, responding to two other students by the deadline may be worth 5 points, responding to one student by the deadline may be worth 3 points, failing to respond may be worth 1 point. Should they receive a point for no work? Is the distribution for the other posts fair?
Michael,
Ha! We all learn from our mistakes and have all "rushed one out" that resulted in a "not so good" experience. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha,
That's a good point. There are so many things to consider. Thanks for your input.
Jeannine,
Yes, when we try to add to much the students can become confused and that can cause issued. Clean and simple is a good way to think about designing rubrics.
A Rubric can be specific but I have been too analytical when developing a Rubric and I have also waited until the last minute (because I received a new class at the last minute) and it was murderous for everyone with all the continual changes/updates to the document which resulted in confusion to the students.
In my experience, mistakes instructors make when creating rubrics, is focusing on one aspect instead of criteria that can be used to evaluate all levels of performance. For instance, a rubric that is heavy on writing skills, when there are other criteria or requirements that could valuable from the assignment. I have also seen where the scale could use improvements, where the distribution of points are not consistent with the outline of the assignment requirements.
Dr. Crews,
I think some of the mistakes that are made in making rubrics is attempting to add too much content to the rubric. Also, not explaining the criteria throughly and not thinking about the assigment outcomes. What is it you want the student to learn and to be able to demonstrate if there is a task involved. Also, not writing the rubric clealy, so students can understand what it is they need to do for the assignment.
Jeannine Wieland
Dr. Christopher,
Yes, we can at times try to make them very detailed and some times they become too confusing. We have to review them as well to make sure we don't forget key items. Thanks!
One of the mistakes that I have seen creating rubrics is creating too many categories or items on the rubric. I tend to like leaving them a little looser and making them more student centered. It is very easy to create such a tight rubric that an instructor can influence student work and eliminate reflection. The other mistake I have seen is for instructors to create the rubric after the assignment is assigned, as "oh crap, guess what I forgot." This causes the students to have no idea what the instructor is looking for and is unfair.
-Chris
Jay,
Good point. We have to make sure it supports the whole - the grading component of the syllabus. Thanks!
Jane,
Vagueness can be the downfall of a rubric. We have to be clear in the criteria and help students understand the expectations. Thanks!
One common mistake that is made when developing rubrics is a miscalculation with the points not aligning to what is conveyed in the syllabus. It is important that rubrics make it simple for the student to see where points have been deducted and that they match properly to the syllabus.
Jay Familant
The biggest mistake I see includes vague wording.
I would rather have a rubric that gives a clear indication of what is expected and how many points or what percentage completion will earn.
Simone,
When rubrics are not clear, they can be more confusing to the student than helpful. This is not a good thing so thanks for bringing up things we should think about as we use/create rubrics. Thanks!
One thing that I have noticed in the past is that some of the rubrics are not clear and concise. In addition, in an online setting using rubrics are necessary, but we have to make sure to avoid the mistakes. From past experiences, I have seen rubrics that have a range of numbers in the heading for what a student can obtain in that section. When this happens, it causes confusion as you have to explain to the students why they did not gain the highest score in the column. If the rubric only had one number in that section, then it would be easier to grade and clearer to the student. In addition to this, another mistake that I have noticed is having to many items that you are grading the student one. When developing a rubric, you should focus on the most important elements so that it is understandable what you are looking for and what is important.
William,
Definitely. You can't simply recycle one rubric for many assignments or subjects. We have to align them with the objectives and "tweak" them accordingly. Thanks!
Over simplify rubrics are a problem as is recycling rubrics that do not address a new/different subject. not applying several levels of criteria when designing a rubric can be a problem as well.
Patrice,
Yes, if it's too generic, the students may be confused on the expectations and how they will be evaluated. Thanks!
Christina,
Your right. The alignment is key in the development of the rubric. The alignment with the learning objectives is key as well.
Thanks!
