I thought the section on the advantages and disadvantages of rubrics was interesting. One thing I've found with rubrics is that most lean to the generic so that there is consistency throughout a school's courses. Consistency is great; however, what often happens is that a specific assignment calls for something that is not reflected in the rubric. This can lead to grade disputes.
Nancy Tosh
In designing the course, using rubrics can help the instructor provide clarity for wholistic course goals and specific tasks for learning outcomes. Provides consistency, continuity and direction while minimizing subjectivity.
When designed and implemented properly against the course of instruction, rubrics are a very useful assessment tool for both the instructor and student. They help define expectations for the student, without supressing creativity. They also help a group of instructors grade to the same standards. I believe this definately creates an "equal playing field" from the student standpoint.
So interesting to learn about how and when rubrics can vary. I've always assumed other than content that they generally followed the same mechanics and purpose.
I am, at this point, unsure as to whther I will incorporate rubrics any more than I already do.
In this module we learned the advantages and disadvantages to using rubrics. The advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages and it's important to know when to use them and when not.
I'm a big believer in rubrics, particularly for major writing assignemtns. I think they help to ensure fairness in grading and provide the students with valuable, specific feedback. I really like what the lesson said about the challenges that rubrics present to students who have learning disabilities in that rubrics do tend to be very summative and performance based. They don't often take effort into account, so some students are perhaps at a disadvantage in regards to their work being judged with a rubirc. I'll carry this insight with me as I create rubrics in the future and will perhaps create an effort based criterion when grading essays from here on out.
Rubrics can be excellent tools for instructors to observe the progress their students have made, and are also great tools for students. This is because they give students an idea of how to maximize the quality of their assignment, while improving their learning potential. Although they may be time consuming, general, analytical, and hollistic rubrics are for the most part, one of the best teaching/learning tools.
I have been inspired to create a rubric for my two weekly writing assignments so that more is put on the students to accomplish and I have less to constantly remind them of. I think having writtien down explicit expections of what I want to see in writing will help clear up any confusion my students have had with why they got the score they recieved.
Using a rubric provides several advantages to both instructors and students.
I thought that this was an important note: Rubrics can also restrict the students’ creativity.
I have learnt that a rubric is essential in that it allows educators to articulate the goals of an assignment. As a student, i can benefit from the use of a rubric since I can understand the primary requirements of an assignment. I can also judge my work by going through a rubric and developing an understanding of the main points of the assignment.
Using rubrics are important to keep the students knowing what is expected of them at all times. Rubrics are very time consuming for the instructor and may have to be updated often depending on the class.
Rubrics make it clear what I as an instructor am looking for...but they can also hinder creativity.
The use of a rubric allows some great opportunities for students to get more than just a letter grade and this is important in a science class. On so many assignments, all I can offer them is "correct" or "incorrect", but having a rubric for discussion posts and essay questions allows me to make sure students are understanding the material holistically.
"In Blackboard, a Feedback Rubric is a tool that displays the assessment criteria for an assignment. Feedback Rubrics can help students understand what is expected to meet the requirements of an assignment, and can be used by instructors as a marking tool to demonstrate to students how they met each criterion."
Reference: https://telhelp.shu.ac.uk/feedback-rubric#:~:text=In%20Blackboard%2C%20a%20Feedback%20Rubric,how%20they%20met%20each%20criterion.
The rubric is a tool and contract with the student on the expectations of the assignment, However, it is important for the Instructor to review ach section of the Rubric with the students so everyone is on the same page.
Although rubrics take time to create, they are an effective tool for communicating how students will be evaluated. There are different types of rubics, so be sure not to try to fit one to all.
There are pros and cons to creating and using rubrics. However, the pros outweigh the negatives.
Rubrics help the instructor and students to undertands the expectation of certain assignments. The rubrics allow the instructors to grade the student's work and provide feedback simultaniously. Rubrics are adaptable to different activities. The rubric may assist the instructor in providig timely feedback to the student.There are generic rubrics, combination rubrics and task-specific rubrics. The use of rubric can be advanageous to the instructor and the student as well. On the other hands, rubrics have disadvantages and may not be welcome by everyone.
