Rubrics in the Age of Accountability: Transparent Assessment in Support of Learning

NJEDge.Net  Video Conference - February 16, 2005

Rubrics provide a powerful tool for grading and assessment that can also serve as a transparent and inspiring guide to learning. Rubrics have been used to increase transparency and accountability across K-12 and higher education, and in corporate and government settings. This session will demystify rubrics by reviewing types of rubrics (holistic, analytic, general, and task-specific), steps to creating a rubric, and effective uses of rubrics (by students and faculty). We will explore characteristics of quality rubrics through construction of a "Rubric of Rubrics." An online tool for rubric development will be shared interactively with the audience. We will also consider the importance of rubrics in encouraging self-reflective learning.

Presenters: Ken Ronkowitz, NJIT and Bonnie B. Mullinix, Monmouth University.

PROGRAM SEGMENTS

  1. Introduction to Rubrics - What is a rubric and why would you want to use one?
    In simple terms, a rubric shows how learners will be assessed and/or graded. In formal terms, taken from the glossary of Understanding Educational Measurement by Peter McDaniel (1994), " A scoring rubric is a set of ordered categories to which a given piece of work can be compared. Scoring rubrics specify the qualities or processes that must be exhibited in order for a performance to be assigned a particular evaluative rating.
  2. Four Types of Rubrics: Holistic and Analytic and General Rubrics and Task-specific
  3. Here's an example of how a very simple rubric might be used to do open-ended assessments in mathematics - this site shows how a rubric can be used to score student responses rubrics and includes sample responses. Rubrics are often used when groups are scoring responses in order to provide consistency in the assessment - examples: the high school AP essay test responses, placement tests for freshman, qualifying performances for admission to programs etc.
  4. This task specific rubric is for assessing a digital video project and shows the detail that some rubrics contain.
  5. Bridge Building - task specific
  6. NJEDge.Net Best Practices Proposals Evaluation - task specific
  7. ETS Writing Rubric - specific to this writing task but adaptable to other writing
  8. Evaluation of a Research Paper - though this rubric includes a scoring element for adherence to APA style, it is a general rubric that could be used with minor modifications for most research paper writing assignments.
  9. Two general rubrics for Math Proofs and Math Problem Solving (University of Chicago)
  10. Evaluating an Online Course - this very detailed rubric from USC at Chico, is used to evaluate 6 features of an online course - each feature is on its own rubric page. Compare it with an equally elaborate rubric that is used by WebCT  to judge entrants in their exemplary online courses competition. As is often the case, these task specific rubrics could easily be adapted for use in evaluating any online course by removing specific descriptors.
  11. Assessing a Meeting - an interesting example both in structure and intent (Word document)
  12. Finally, a general template for a typical rubric that shows how rubrics generally contain a number of performance objectives that are evaluated over a range of competencies .
  13. Exploring Rubrics - A Rubric for Rubric Assessment – interactive construction using paper puzzle matrix  (Bonnie and onsite facilitators)
  14. Steps for Creating your own Rubric
  15. Collaborative Rubric Construction - Guidelines for Creating a Rubric
  16. Using Rubrics for Course Assessment & Peer Assessment
  17. Using Rubrics for Self-assessment vs. Grade Assessment

ONLINE RESOURCES        Since a Google search on "rubrics" produced over 2 million, there should be no shortage of sites for you to explore.
Here are a few recommended links:

Measures, Rubrics, & Tools for Assessing Student Learning Outcomes - from Kansas State University

How To Create Rubrics - a good introductory guide from a company that sells rubrics to teachers

AAHE (American Association for Higher Education) - has rubrics links  and other assessment tools online

Guidelines for Rubric Development from San Diego State University's College of Education

An Introduction to Scoring Rubrics - though developed by the Chicago Public schools, these pages are a good introduction for any educator new to rubric use and creation.

Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE) Rubrics

A Method for Grading Essays in Any Course - from the Teaching Resource Center at U of Virginia

Essay Scoring Manual - developed for the scoring of essays written for the Regents' Testing Program of the University System of Georgia - besides the rubric for scoring, there are many useful references on this site for assessment.

Focused Holistic Scoring - part of the THEA Test  (Texas Higher Education Assessment) - this is designed to provide information about the reading, mathematics, and writing skills of students entering the state's public colleges, universities, and educator preparation programs in public and private institutions.

RUBRICS IN K-12

California schools have adopted rubrics as one way to standardize the assessment of students and curriculum - examples from different disciplines and rubrics used for California content standards assessment

Kathy Schrock's website includes extensive rubric links in many subject areas. Rubrics are long been used more widely at the K12 levels.

Life on Mars? Project - One of many science rubrics created by NASA for schools.

Create Your Own Rubrics Online - RubiStar is one online tool to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics but does not have the time to develop them from scratch. Start with the tutorial (it includes information on changing categories, their headings and content). Register (it's free) with them so that you can save & edit what you create.