LE,
Yes, we have to evaluate the rubric we use to make sure they are on target with what we are assessing. They should also be designed to help students improve. Thanks for your input.
The review and evaluation of the rubric ensures that we are accomplishing our intended goal. If the rubric is not contributing to student learning and providing high quality feedback it should be corrected.
Ann,
Good words - consistent, valid and reliable. When you evaluate the rubrics, it helps you assess if they are assessing the right things. Thanks!
I would want to evaluate the rubrics as an instructor to know what is being evaluated. Rubrics need to be consistance, valid and reliable. The instructor would want to evaluate to make sure also that the rubric covered the essential measures the the information it is covering.
Pennie,
Depending on the course content, project/assignment, circumstance, etc., rubrics may be more comprehensive or more basic. Good job.
We have recently built out a more comprehensive rubric to use for grading instructors but the student rubric needs to be reevaluated to ensure we are capturing the right competencies for improvement. I think an annual review is sufficient to make sure it is still meaningful and valid.
David,
Definitely. We want to make sure the rubric is consistent in what it is measuring and it measures what t should be measuring. Thanks for your input.
It is important that the rubric is reliable and valid and that needs to be done to make sure that it is measuring what you expect it to measure and that it has both intra and inter rater reliability.
Daniel ,
Ah - but my PowerPoints are voice over PowerPoints with quizzes built in. The students hear/see a few slides, a questions is posed and then they answer questions. They are not passively looking at pictures/slides. Then we discuss on the bulletin board or in synchronous meetings. It's all connected. Thanks for your input.
Daniel ,
I can see your point. You may have a rubric that simply helps you assess the thoroughness of the students work and whether or not they have defended their answer, but not necesarily a right answer as many times there may not be a right answer.
I appreciate your observation but I am not a fan of PowerPoints (aka electronic flash cards) as they are, in my opinion, counterproductive to critical thinking and encourage high levels of passivity by students. I realize I am swimming against the tide with this one but the research shows that our attention span with P.Points is about 2 minutes (if we are lucky). I do not use them in the rubric if it can be avoided. Thanks.
I find myself wrestling with the very idea you presented here. Does the rubric honestly authentic the goals and criteria of the course? In some courses e.g. methodology, analytical rubrics make it somewhat easier for me to answer that question. It is in the arena of interpretation e.g. theories of crime, that I have a harder time making the connection with the rubric.
Daniel ,
I like your use of the word "insurance." That's a great way of noting whether the rubric is working (measuring what it should) or not. Thanks!
There are so many valid reasons to evaluate our rubrics. It is difficult to sort out one or two urgent reasons but two that come to mind immediately are:
1. The cyclical nature of review, adjustment, and implementation. Instruction does not have a dead-end goal that can be achieved (in my opinion) by creating a rubric set in granite. The nature of learning is such that improvement is an integral part of the review process, the "next step of many", so to speak.
2. Insurance. Does my rubric approximate a system of evaluation that is consistent, fair, and accurate? There is no way to know that without periodic reviews of its contents, scales, etc.
Eleanor,
Your questions are great. These are essential when reviewing the rubrics. Thanks.
Eleanor,
Without an evaluation of the rubrics we use, we cannot be sure they are measuring what we really need them to measure. Keep reviewing and updating to improve the assessment and teaching processes.
Sandra,
You are so right. We need to think about our teaching in general as a continuous improvement process. Rubrics are just one part of the process. Thanks.
James,
right on. I just posted why it is important to evaluate your rubrics. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Michael,
Absolutely. As with all we do, our assessments must also be evaluated to make sure they are assessing what they should be assessing and are connected to the learning outcome. Good information.
Its important to evaluate the rubrics to ensure that the criteria being used is valid and appropriate. By that I mean questions like "Are they measuring the correct objectives?" "Are the clear to the students?" Is the rubric reliable?
