Let's Share Thursday - Rubrics

Why use rubrics?

When we consider how well a learner performed a speaking or writing task, we do not think of the performance as being right or wrong. Instead, we place the performance along a continuum from exceptional to not up to expectations. Rubrics help us to set anchor points along a quality continuum so that we can set reasonable and appropriate expectations for learners and consistently judge how well they have met them.

1. Well-designed rubrics increase an assessment's construct and content validity by aligning evaluation criteria to standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment tasks.

2. Well-designed rubrics increase an assessment's reliability by setting criteria that raters can apply consistently and objectively.

3. Evaluating student work by established criteria reduces bias.

4. Identifying the most salient criteria for evaluating a performance and writing descriptions of excellent performance can help teachers clarify goals and improve their teaching.

5. Rubrics help learners set goals and assume responsibility for their learning—they know what comprises an optimal performance and can strive to achieve it.

6. Rubrics used for self- and peer-assessment help learners develop their ability to judge quality in their own and others' work.

7. Rubrics answer the question "Why did I/my child get a B on this project?"

8. Learners receive specific feedback about their areas of strength and weakness and about how to improve their performance.

9. Learners can use rubrics to assess their own effort and performance, and make adjustments to work before submitting it for a grade.

10. Rubrics allow learners, teachers, and other stakeholders to monitor progress over a period of instruction.

11. Time spent evaluating performance and providing feedback can be reduced.

12. When students participate in designing rubrics, they are empowered to become self-directed learners.

13. Rubrics help teachers move away from subjective grading by allowing them and others, including students themselves, to assess work based on consistent, often agreed upon, and objective criteria.

(Fiderer, 1999; Goodrich Andrade, 1997; SRI International-Center for Technology in Learning, 1997-2002; Eighmey's Think Tank; Kasman Valenza, 2000; TeacherVision.com, 2000-2002; Tedick, 2002)

Find a rubric you love and e-mail it to me at danielle.mickelson@sendit.nodak.edu. I will change them all to PDF's, and send them out to everyone who contributes.