Deborah,
Excellent. It is definitely good to get feedback from the students and make edits based on their suggestions. That helps make the criteria more clear. Thanks!
Yes, always! It is good to make sure they are aligning with the objectives and they are clear to the students. I think it is also a good idea to have students evaluate them.
Michael ,
Right on! We have to evaluate everything and reflect on how well tool or assignments are working. This all leads back to the assessment tools as well. Thanks for your input.
Hello Dr. Crews,
Just as courses need to be updated periodically to keep them fresh and interesting to students, the assignments and the rubrics used to assess the assignments should also be updated to be in step with the rest of the course materials.
Sincerely,
Michael Luzius
michael,
We have to evaluate everything we do, that's for sure. But, you're right on target when you say we have to make sure the language is clear. The criteria and categories are the key. If they are not clear, the rubric will be more confusing to the students than helpful. This is never good. ;-)
Evaluating rubrics is an essential step in determining whether the rubric will assess the desired skills and outcomes. It is a good thing to examine and evaluate rubric language to make sure it is easily comprehensible for students. Rubric language should be clear and precise with each level building. Cross reference the rubric against any other rubric or standards to make sure the proficiency descriptors are in line with what students will be expected to know on an examination and should be continuously done to make necessary improvement.
Christina,
Definitely. We have to take everything back to the objectives. We want to make sure the rubric is measuring what it is supposed to measure and it is beneficial in helping the students understand the expectations and improve in their learning. Thanks!
Evaluating one's rubrics is critical for several reasons:
*It reminds the instructor of the objectives of the course and what outcomes we are looking for. Often instructors can get "bogged down" in grading and lose perspective of the big picture of student learning. Going over and checking the rubrics can re-establish this for the instructor.
*Just like technology, rubrics can become out-dated over time. This is especially when assignments change.
*Rubrics may also need to fill in trouble spots that students are having. Especially in the area of critical thinking if a particular year of students need more improvement in this area.
robert,
I really try to emphasize to all students that they should self-assess prior using the rubric prior to turning in any assignment. Those that do perform better. Go figure. Ha! ;-) Thanks!
Since learners can use rubrics to assess their own effort and performance, and make adjustments to work before submitting it for a grade, it may be necessary to make adjustments if students are misunderstanding elements of the rubric.
Francis ,
Right on! We have to assess our rubrics. When we do that we also think about the assignment in connection with the rubric. Thanks!
You need to make sure that the rubrics you are using are actually achieving the desired result. Assignments change over time and that means that the rubric should be changing as well. If we aren't evaluating our rubrics on a regular basis, they will become outdated and they will cease to be effective.
Sara,
Seems like we may never be content. ;-) We have to keep pushing forward with our edits to the course as a whole. Rubrics are one part of that. Thanks!
Hello Dr. Crews and Colleagues, :-)
As our text tells us, educators shouldn't be content with creating educational tools and then forgetting about them. We need to periodically review our work to see if it warrants upgrades, amendments, etc. The initial reason for the creation of the rubrics may have changed including curriculum, student population, state requirements; we must be prepared to adapt the rubrics to meet those changes.
Sara Fine
Instructor
Saudat,
Benchmarks is a great term to use to describe rubrics. It is good to assess the rubrics, get feedback from students and make edits as necessary. Thanks!
Given that rubrics become benchmarks for evaluating students' work, it is necessary to ensure that they pass quality assessment in the areas discussed in the module, such as clarity, reliability or consistency, fairness and so on. The only way to improve rubrics and incorporate student feedback is to revise them periodically.
Juanito,
Yes, does it easier what it should be measuring.
It's essential!
In order to check whether it is effective or not.
Rick,
You bring up a great point about the multiple intelligences. The more we get to know our students and critically think about how to assess our students, the better. Thanks!
Meta-evaluation in any area of education is critical. About the time I am satisfied with the effectiveness of the rubric I have been using for a given unit of instruction, the rubric has probably become outdated. I also strongly believe that rubrics should be geared to the stakeholder's learning strenghts- much like Gardner's MI theory. Since we all see different learners with each new session or term or semester, it is paramount that my rubrics are updated to meet the needs and expectations of the students who will be evaluated by the rubrics I have created.
