Using Rubrics to Grade, Assess, and

Improve Learning

Mary AllenMarch 7, 2014

Each of you will leave this room with at least one new idea for using rubrics to foster student learning.

My Goal

Assessment is an on-going process designed to monitor and improve student learning. Faculty: develop explicit statements of what

students should learn (student learning outcomes)

require students to perform each outcome assess how well students performed

each outcome use results to improve student learning of

each outcome (close the loop)

Academic Program Assessment

Usually involves subjective judgments Rubrics provide the criteria to guide these

judgments

Assessing the Evidence

Holistic Analytic

Rubrics

Campus Examples AAC&U VALUE Rubrics

Rubric Examples

The rubric communicates what the outcome really means because it specifies the criteria for assessing its mastery. 

Did this student meet our criteria?

How well did this student do compared to other students?

Criterion-Referenced Judgments

Adapt an already-existing rubricAnalytic method

Creating a Rubric

Consider starting at the extremes

Some words I find useful

Drafting the Rubric

Which do you prefer?Why?

Rubric Criteria

Group collaboration rubric

Let’s give it a try.

Students learn to do things better by practice with feedback.

What would happen if your students were given feedback on the same writing rubric for every paper they wrote in your curriculum or the same speaking rubric for every presentation they made in your curriculum?

Rubrics Across the Curriculum

Four examplesYou don’t have to like all of them.

Adapting Assessment Rubrics for Grading

1. Every student receives explicit feedback on at least three major dimensions of speaking.

2. Faculty can grade students rapidly.3. Students can give quick feedback to their

peers.4. Students and you can track improvements

on at least three dimensions.5. Combining student data on each dimension

allows you to identify which aspects of the outcome students are achieving and which they are not achieving at the level you expect.

Grading Using This Rubric

Imagine we finished the Group Collaboration Rubric on page 4.

How would you adapt this rubric to grade your students’ group collaboration skills?

Explain to someone near you why you prefer your adaptation.

Give it a try.

Speed up gradingClarify expectations to studentsReduce student grade complaints

Help faculty create better assignments

Help faculty tailor instruction to meet students’ needs

Rubrics Can:

As we discuss each idea, think about how you could adapt it for use in your own courses.

You don’t have to like every idea.

Suggestions for Using Rubrics in Courses

1. Share and discuss grading rubrics in advance.

2. Integrate rubrics into lectures and activities.

3. Develop a rubric with your students.4. Have students apply the rubric to

samples.5. Have students give peer feedback.6. Have students self-assess.

Suggestions for Using Rubrics in Courses

Discuss with someone near you how you might use one or more of these ideas in a course you teach.

Use program assessment to improve students' learning opportunities.

Work with colleagues to integrate assessment rubrics across your curriculum.

Adapt assessment rubrics for grading in your courses.

Integrate rubrics into courses:1. share grading rubrics with students before they do their work2. integrate rubrics into lectures or activities3. develop rubrics with your students4. have students apply rubrics to sample products5. have students provide peer feedback using rubrics6. have students self-assess using rubrics

Ideas to Consider

Each of you will leave this room with at least one new idea for using rubrics to foster student learning.

My Goal