Developing and Using Rubrics

Robin PappasCenter for Teaching and LearningOctober 24, 2013

Workshop Outcomes

Workshop participants will

• Become familiar with rubric definition and structure• Identify criteria that warrant creating and using rubrics• Review and analyze several examples of rubrics• Identify the four stages of rubric development • Use strategies and stages to develop a rubric for course

participation• Consider ways of integrating Bacc Core Learning Outcomes into

rubrics for Bacc Core classes• Consider ways of involving students in the rubric development

process• Discuss ways in which rubrics can facilitate opportunities for

classroom assessment and vice versa

What is a rubric?definition

You may need a rubric if…

• You often get behind in grading• Students complain that your comments are illegible• You are developing wrist and hand cramps from writing the

same comments on student papers• You sometimes worry that the assignments at the bottom of

the stack were graded differently from those at the top • Despite giving long descriptions of assignments in the

syllabus, students routinely ask several questions in class about your expectations

You may need a rubric if…

• Despite collaborating with colleagues to develop courses or assignments, you suspect your grading scales differ

• You regularly find yourself talking with Writing Center or other tutorial services staff because neither tutors nor students understand your assignments

• You’ve been disappointed more than once because most students in the class prove unaware of expectations so basic that you didn’t feel the need to mention them

• Despite your concerted effort to explain a complex assignment, students complain that your expectations are vague, mysterious, or impossible to fulfill

(Adapted from Stevens and Levi, 2005)

Example 1: Group Project

Task DescriptionScaleDimensionsDimension Descriptions

Creating the first rubric

Is it worth the time?

Why use rubrics?

• Timely feedback• Experience using detailed feedback• Enhanced opportunities for critical thinking about work• Enhanced communication with GTAs, tutors, and other

academic success colleagues• Resource for honing teaching skills• Level playing field

Rubric Structure

TitleTask Description

Scale Level 1

Scale Level 2

Scale Level 3

Scale Level 4

Dimension 1Dimension 2Dimension 3Dimension 4

Toward Stages of Rubric Development

Class 101 Participation Grade

Scale Level 1

Scale Level 2

Scale Level 3

Scale Level 4

Dimension 1Dimension 2Dimension 3Dimension 4

4 Stages of Rubric Construction

Reflecting

Listing

Grouping and Labeling

Application

Stage 1: Reflecting

8 Questions

1) Why did you create the assignment?2) Have you given this before?3) How does it relate to the rest of what you’re teaching?4) What skills will students need to have or develop to successfully

complete this?5) What exactly is the task assigned?6) What evidence will demonstrate they have accomplished what

you’d hoped they would?7) What are your highest expectations for student performance on

this?8) What is the worst fulfillment of the assignment you can

imagine?

Stage 2: Listing

• What specific learning objectives will be accomplished by completing the assignment?

• List the Highest Expectations for each learning objective.

Stage 3: Grouping and Labeling

• Group similar performance expectations and create labels for each group.

• Uses list of highest performance expectations.

Stage 4: Application

• Transfer lists and groupings to grid.• Groups of performance expectations move to left column.• Learning and task objectives move into descriptions of highest

level of performance• If creating a scoring guide, process ends here.

Thoughts?

Range of Skills and Course Competencies

VALUE Rubrics by AAC&U

Bacc Core Competencies

Dimension Descriptions in VALUE Rubrics as one model for integrating Bacc Core Categories and learning objectives into individual rubrics.

BACC Core Categories and Learning Objectives

Involving Students

Rubric up front with Q&AFeedback modelPartial rubric

Rubrics and Classroom Assessment

Scenario: Suppose 25% or more of your students earn scores of 2 or 1 in most categories for their first assignments.

What questions does this raise re: future success?How could you assess to identify the problem(s)?What are you prepared to do or change in response to the assessment data?

Other examples

Rubrics 102

• Clarify dimension categories

• Develop and refine performance descriptions

• Connect terms in rubric to assignment/activity description

• Map out activities to reinforce learning outcomes throughout course