Using Rubrics for Assessment: A Primer

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Using Rubrics for Assessment A Primer

• Marcel S. Kerr
• Summer 2007

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Presentation Purpose ?

• ? Educate faculty on uses of rubrics
• ? Preparation for General Education Assessment
  Plan
• Learn to write rubrics for multiple purposes
• Student learning assessment
• Course assessment
• Program assessment

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Presentation Objectives ?

• Define rubric
• Differentiate types of rubrics
• Identify uses of rubrics
• List advantages of using rubrics
• Construct a rubric
• Determine validity reliability
• End-of-training Quiz
• Complete Rubric Training Rubric

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What are Rubrics? ?

• A rubric is a scoring scale used to assess
  performance along a task-specific set of criteria
  rather than a single numeric score.
• A means of formative assessment
• Purposes of rubrics
• Describe what outstanding or satisfactory or
  inadequate performance looks like
• Articulate the criteria against which student
  learning is judged
• Provide an objective guide for assessment

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What do Rubrics Assess?

• Assessment level
• Student learning
• Courses
• Programs
• Institutions
• A stated learning objective
• Content the knowledge specific to a given
  discipline
• Performance skills and internal processes
  required for achievement in a given discipline

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Types of Rubrics ?

• Analytic are more specific easier to apply
  break down the objective into dimensions
  (criteria) and judge them individually
• Used when large number of criteria criteria are
  weighted
• Holistic are more general assess the entire
  objective on one scale
• Used for quick or minor assessments open-ended
  questions skills

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Rubric Basic Structure ?

• There are four basic features
• Stated Objective or Purpose - title
• Scoring Criteria characteristics of good
  performance on the task
• Levels of Performance defined degrees of
  competency
• Descriptors spell out briefly what is expected
  at each level of performance

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Rubric Basic Structure ?
Objective Research Paper
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Uses of Rubrics ?

• Set evaluator performer expectations
• Criteria by which work is judged
• Difference between excellent weak work
• Formative student feedback
• Grade assignments
• Standardize grading across graders
• Assess programs (GEC)

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Rubrics for Program Assessment
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• Rationale for use
• Faculty created, owned, and operated
• Low cost reusable
• National tests are expensive and problematic
• Natural part of the course or curriculum
• Four General Education Literacy areas
• Language Literacy Written Communication
• Analytic Literacy Problem Solving
• Cultural Literacy Composition of Art
• Social Literacy Personal Civic Responsibility

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Advantages of Using Rubrics ?

• Clarity
• Expectations, objectives, grading, feedback
• Objectivity
• Standardized, consistent, fair, valid, reliable
• Legitimacy
• Fairness increases student responsibility
• Efficiency
• Easy to make, use and explain
• Improve skills End Products
• Instructor, students, peers

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Writing Rubrics ?

• Identify and define the assessment objective or
  purpose
• Select and write the needed number of scoring
  criteria
• Select and write the desired levels of
  performance
• If desired, select and write the descriptors

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Electronic Rubric Builders

• Here are a few
• Teachnology.com
• Rubistar
• Rubric Studio

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Calibrating Rubrics Validity ?

• Validity the accuracy with which the rubric
  assesses the objective or purpose are we
  evaluating what we intended?
• Self Check
• Colleague Review
• Student Review
• Pilot Test

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Calibrating Rubrics Reliability ?

• Reliability how consistently the rubric
  assesses the objective or purpose over time and
  across raters are the resulting scores
  consistent?
• Interrater consistency of scores assigned by
  two or more raters
• Intrarater consistency of scores assigned by
  same rater at different points in time
• External factors time of day, order of
  assignments
• Internal factors mood, fatigue, attention

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End-of-training Quiz

• What have we learned?
• Please complete the 10-item online quiz. It is a
  quick formative assessment of what weve covered
  today.
• Upon completion, you will receive a feedback
  page with your final score. Please print a copy
  of this page and forward it to your Dean or VP as
  evidence that you have completed the assessment
  training.

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Rubric Resources

• Documenting Excellence General Education
  Rubrics http//www.documentingexcellence.com/exam
  ples/rubricgened/rubric.htm
• Authentic Assessment Toolbox http//jonathan.muel
  ler.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/rubrics.htm
• Rubrics.com http//www.rubrics.com/
• Teacher Created Rubrics for Assessment
  http//www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.shtml
• Sinclair Community College General Education
  Rubrics http//www.sinclair.edu/about/gened/gened
  rubrics/index.cfm
• CSU Institutional research Assessment
  Planning http//www.csufresno.edu/ir/assessment/r
  ubric.shtml

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References

• Moskal, B. M., Leydens, J.A. (2000). Scoring
  rubric development Validity and reliability.
  Practical Assessment, Research Evaluation,
  7(10). Retrieved June 19, 2007 from
  http//PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v7n10
• Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation. A
  Peer-reviewed electronic journal. ISBN 1531-7714.
  http//pareonline.net
• Richards, K. (2005). A primer on rubrics.
  Retrieved, June 15th, 2007 from
  http//online.lsc.mnscu.edu/Academics/assessment/D
  ocuments/Primer_on_Rubrics.pdf
• Stevens, D.D., Levi, A.J. (2004). Introduction
  to rubrics An assessment tool to save grading
  time, convey effective feedback and promote
  student learning. Stylus Publishing.