Rubrics and information literacy in primary schools

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Rubrics and information literacy in primary
schools

• Jan Schmidt-Loeliger
• Information Services Manager
• Horsham West Primary School

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What is a rubric?

• Rubrics provide direction for action
• Rubrics establish a mode of conduct or procedure

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Haiku rubric
Great! O.K. Needs help
Critical components Contains descriptive words and phrases that describe nature Communicates thoughts and/or feelings Follows the three-line, 17 syllable format (5-7-5)
Style Strong verbs Precise words Words that evoke image ad express sensory detail Writing devices such as alliteration, metaphor, simile, onamatopoeia and personification
Originality
Mechanics Ending punctuation Capitalization Comma rules Quotation marks
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Why use rubrics?

• Rubrics
• Help to determine student progress
• Improve student learning
• Provide information for the teacher to plan
• appropriate teaching learning experiences

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Why use rubrics?

• Rubrics
• Identify what students are expected to accomplish
  by the end of the unit
• - knowledge
• - skills actions - outcomes
• - processes
• - attitudes
• - values

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Why use rubrics?

• Rubrics
• Can be used in different contexts, e.g.
  individual, group or whole class contexts
• Cater for a range of learning styles

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Range of learning styles
Intelligence Activity
Verbal linguistic Discussions, reading
Logical - mathematical Using evidence, comparisons, deductions and reasoning
Spatial Concept maps
Bodily kinesthetic -
Musical -
Interpersonal Co-operative learning, sharing
Intrapersonal Student choice, self-evaluation, independent study, reflecting
Naturalist
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Rubrics and assessment

• Assessment is an ongoing process.
• Rubrics
• Provide a manageable recording method
• Provide criteria and performance standards
• Allow for different rates of progress
• Involve students in the assessment process
• Make assessment integral to the unit

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Rubrics and assessment

• A performance assessment consists of two parts
• - a task
• - a set of scoring criteria or rubric

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Assessment

• Assessment involves some subjective judgements
  about the quality of a students work.
• A uniform set of precisely defined criteria or
  scoring guidelines or rubrics, provides a way to
  make fair and sound judgements of student work.
• Two teachers who use the same rubric ought to
  arrive at the same score, increasing the
  reliability and consistency of the assessment.

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Good rubrics will -

• Assist teachers to define excellence
• Assist teachers to plan how they can help
  students achieve excellence
• Communicate to students what constitutes
  excellence
• Provide guidelines for students to evaluate their
  own work

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Good rubrics will -

• Communicate goals and results to parents and
  others
• Help teachers be accurate, unbiased and
  consistent in scoring
• Document the procedures used in making judgements
  about students work

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Elements of a scoring rubric

• One or more dimensions that serve as a basis for
  judging student responses
• Definitions and examples to clarify the meaning
  of each dimension
• A scale on which to rate each dimension
• Standards of excellence for specified performance
  levels accomplished by models or examples at each
  level

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Scoring scales

• May be numerical or qualitative or a combination

The Violin Man 1 2 3
Content 3 or less slides 4 relevant slides 5 or more relevant slides
Information Vague or irrelevant information Relevant, concise information. Most required aspects covered. Covers all required aspects
Graphics Absent or irrelevant graphics Relevant graphics Relevant, labelled graphics
Resources No websites cited Websites incorrectly cited Websites correctly cited
Creativity Presentation fails to deliver message Simple presentation - gets message across Presentation gets message across in a multimedia format
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Scoring scales

• Qualitative rubrics may have scales with labels
• - not yet, developing, achieving
• - emerging, developing, achieving
• - novice, apprentice, proficient,
  distinguished
• - no evidence, minimal evidence, partial
  evidence, complete evidence
• - average, very good, excellent
• - not good, good, excellent, outstanding
• - great, OK, needs help

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Dialogue rubric
Great OK Needs help
Critical components Uses verbs and adjectives vividly to express tone and emotion Changes paragraphs each time a new person talks Uses quotation marks around spoken words
Style Strong verbs Precise words Words that evoke image and express sensory detail
Originality
Mechanics Ending punctuation Capitalisation Comma rules
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Evaluating rubrics

1. Does the rubric relate to the outcome(s) being
   measured?
2. Does it cover important dimensions of student
   performance?
3. Do the criteria reflect current concepts of
   excellence in the field?
4. Are the dimensions or scales clearly defined?
5. Is there a clear basis for assigning scores at
   each scale point?
6. Can the rubric be applied consistently by
   different scorers?

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Problems and pitfalls in scoring

1. Leniency error scorer tends to be either too
   hard/too easy on everyone
2. Trait error scorer tends to be too hard/too
   easy on a given criterion
3. Appearance scorer thinks more about how the
   work looks than its quality
4. Length length is not necessarily better
5. Fatigue
6. Repetition factor this paper looks like the
   last 50
7. Order effects an average work may seem
   wonderful after 10 poor ones
8. Personality clash if you dont like the
   topic/the student's viewpoint its more difficult
   
9. Sympathy score
10. Judgement discomfort remember you are rating
    the work not the student

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Developing a rubric

• Decide on the dimensions of the task to be
  measured.
• Examine examples of student work to check youve
  not overlooked any dimensions.
• Refine and consolidate dimensions as needed.
• Write a definition of each dimension.
• Develop a continuum/scale for describing the
  range of performance or task at each dimension.

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The reality of our schools

• 2-3 of students have some form of disability
  sensory, intellectual, physical
• 10-12 of students have learning difficulties
• 5-6 of students have a severe behavioural
  disorder
• 3-4 of students are emotionally fragile
• 3-4 of students are medically fragile

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Educators need

• to ask What does this child NOT have in order to
  act appropriately?
• to change, not the student. Teachers need to
  ensure
• consistency
• clarity
• firmness
• empathy
• affection

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Girls learn best when

• They are happy
• Feel loved and accepted in their peer group
• They can talk and discuss ideas
• Are told where they are doing well
• Receive feedback

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Boys learn best when

• They are valued
• They are in a relationship with the instructor
• Theres a lot of mess and activities in between
• There is a a beginning and an end in sight
• They have a good chance of winning

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Bibliography and further reading

• Assessment for learning. Internet. Curriculum
  Corporation, Carlton South, Vic.
  http//.cms.curriculum.edu.au/assessment
  Accessed 6/8/04 24/8/04
• Hetzel, J and McIntire, D (1998). Expressive
  writing. Creative teaching Press, Cypress, CA
• (2003). Rubistar. Create rubrics for your
  project-based-learning activities. Internet.
  High Plains Regional Technology in Education
  Consortium. http//rubistar.4teachers.org/index.ph
  p Accessed 6/8/04 24/8/04
• (2001). Rubrics. Internet. The Technology
  Applications Center for Eductor Development.
  www.tcet.unt.edu/START/instruct/general/rubrics.ht
  m Accessed 6/8/04 24/8/04
• Wilson, J Wing Jan, L. (2003). Focus on
  inquiry. Curriculum Corporation, Carlton South,
  Vic.