Creating Rubrics for Assessment of General Education Mathematics

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Creating Rubrics for Assessment of General
Education Mathematics

• Dick Jardine
• SUNY General Education Assessment Conference
• Syracuse, NY
• April 27, 2005
• rjardine_at_keene.edu

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Overview

• The language of rubrics
• Some examples
• Make your own rubric!
• What to do with the results

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What is a rubric?

• A rubric is a scoring device designed to assist
  in the process of communicating expectations and
  assessing performance
• Based on a range of criteria rather than a single
  numerical score
• A working guide for both students and faculty
• Non-traditional, authentic assessment instrument

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Analytic and Holistic Rubrics

• Analytic
• Identify and assess components of the task
• A score for each component
• Provide more detail about standards

• Holistic
• Assesses the whole work
• One score for the entire product

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Holistic Rubric Template
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Example holistic rubric

• Student will conduct a hypothesis test
• 4 Uses appropriate test with correct with
  correct interpretation. Identifies correct null
  and alternative hypothesis. Uses correct test
  statistic. Obtains correct p-value and correctly
  interprets that result in terms of the null
  hypothesis and the context with clear exposition.
• 3 Provides most of level 4 but with
  unclear/incorrect interpretation
• 2 Uses incorrect test but remaining work follows
  from error
• 1 Uses incorrect test and remaining work does
  not follow
• 0 Little or no work of value

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Holistic rubric for hypothesis test
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Analytic and Holistic Rubrics

• Analytic
• Identify and assess components
• A score for each component
• Provide more detail about standards

• Holistic
• Assesses the whole work
• One score for the entire product

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Analytic Rubric Template
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Problem solving matrix (Rhodes State College)
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Problem solving evaluation scoresheet
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Possible terms for scoring levels

• Needs Improvement...Satisfactory...GoodExemplary
• Beginning...Developing...AccomplishedExemplary
• Needs work...GoodExcellent
• Novice...Apprentice...ProficientDistinguished
• Numeric scale ranging from 0 to n

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Course-embedded assessment(University of
Northern Colorado)

• Align course objectives with Gen Ed outcomes
• Identify course objectives and student outcomes
• Explain tasks to measure each objective/outcome
• Explain performance criteria to evaluate each
  objective (what constitutes meeting expectations)

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Area 1 The student will demonstrate
proficiency in the use of mathematics and/or
statistics to structure their understanding of
and investigate questions in the world around
them
Task (Test question) How long will it take for
8600 to grow to 31,300 at an interest rate of
5.5 if the interest is compounded continuously?
Exceeds expectations
Meets expectations
Does not meet expectations
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Performance Assessment Scoring Rubric

• 4 Thorough Understanding
• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the
  concepts/content
• Demonstrates mastery of the strategies and skills
• Solves new problems by creative and appropriate
  use of knowledge/skills
• 3 Good understanding
• Demonstrates a satisfactory understanding
• Carries out skills and strategies with few minor
  errors
• Applies prior knowledge when prompted
• 2 Satisfactory understanding
• Demonstrates partial understanding of most
  important concepts
• Carries out skills and strategies with minor
  errors
• Makes progress toward the solving of new problems
• 1 Needs improvement
• Demonstrates weak understanding of
  concepts/content
• Carries out skills and strategies with
  significant critical errors

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Developing your own rubrics

• With a colleague
• Determine the learning objective to be assessed.
• List the criteria to be evaluated.
• Describe degrees of quality (in a matrix),
  starting with the best and worst quality and then
  filling in the middle.
• Share the rubric with students before they
  complete the assignment so students understand
  the criteria for evaluation.
• With a colleague
• Use the rubric to evaluate the students work to
  determine if they have met the learning
  objective.
• Adjust rubric as needed for next assessment

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Some limitations of rubrics

• Time it takes to develop quality rubrics
• Reduction of knowledge rich activities to
  selected easily observable behaviors
• Achieving consensus to norm the rubric
  standards

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Some advantages of rubrics

• Faculty provide focus, emphasis, and attention to
  details for students
• Students have explicit details regarding teacher
  expectations
• Tool for student development
• Grading more efficient and effective

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What to do with the results?

• Improve student learning
• Improve curriculum and instruction
• Improve assessment process
• How to use the numbers?

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Summary and conclusion

• Creating rubrics should be a collaborative
  process
• Communicate the standards to students
• Calibrating the scoring requires significant
  discussion
• Improve learning with the results
• http//www.maa.org/saum
• email rjardine_at_keene.edu