Chapter 6: Checklists, Rating Scales & Rubrics Lecture by: Chris Ross

Checklists Purposes of Checklists Made from collection of learning objectives or indicators of development Give an overview of their sequence and how they relate to one another Become a framework for: Assessment and evaluation Instructional planning Record keeping Communicaton

Checklists Using Checklists with Younger Children Developmental checklists => a checklist that emphasizes areas and levels of development in early childhood Usually organized in categories of development (physical, cognitive and social) Preschool teachers use these to assess progress with class materials Sometimes used to start assessing if a child may need additional needs

Checklists School-Age Children Similarly used like those for younger children. Fewer developmental characteristics are recorded. Academic and cognitive objectives are more important. Checklists become more differentiated in areas of learning. Diagnosis of learning strengths and weakness become important

How Checklists are Designed Example, pg 153. Figure 6-1

How Checklists are Designed Checklists as a Guide to Understand Development Checklist items should indicate how the child is progressing through areas Those reviewing the checklist should be able to see the sequence of development

How Checklists are Designed Checklist as a Guide to Develop Curriculum Curriculum follows the experience and opportunities that young children should have Checklist for the younger child can serve as a guide for sequence learning Developmental checklists can help plan for a balance of activities

How Checklists are Designed Checklists as a guide to Assess Learning and Development. A checklist is not enough, teachers need to be able to discuss the information with parents and others Keeping consistent records help parents understand the progress

Evaluating and Assessing with Checklists Evaluating Checklist Objectives by Observation Some items you can observe for a check list. (Eg. Language development; watch the child talk to others. Are they using correct language or developing vocabulary)

Evaluating and Assessing with Checklists Evaluating Checklist Objective with Learning Activities Sometimes you cannot just observe. A child must perform a task or demonstrate understanding. (Eg. Math Skills)

Steps in Checklist Design There are four basic steps in designing a checklist. Identification of the skills to be included Separate listing of target behaviors Sequential organization of the checklist Record Keeping

Steps in Checklist Design Identification of the Skills to Be Included A teacher determines the specific objectives or skills to be included Using established developmental norms/learning objectives the teacher adapts to their needs.

Steps in Checklist Design Separate Listing of Target Behaviors If behaviors or items are needed in an objective, they should be recorded separately. Coin example in the book. 162-163 Can they identify: pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters

Steps in Checklist Design Sequential Organization of Checklist Checklist should be arranged in order of difficulty or complexity Example from book (pg 163). Counting. The higher numbers the higher the level.

Steps in Checklist Design Record Keeping Two of the easiest ways to identify mastered skill behavior: Yes/No; Mastery/Nonmastery May want to record dates. When was the concept introduced and the date of mastery Checklists can be used to also record group and individual progress

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Checklists Easy to use Teachers learn to use quickly Flexible in use Easy to record more frequently Disadvantages Time-consuming (esp to new users) Difficult to get started (no baseline) Not all view as a valid measure Do not indicate how well of a performance Not an assessment instrument

Rating Scales

Types of Rating Scales Numerical Rating Scales Easy to use. Rater marks a number to show degree to which a characteristic is present 1 Poor 2 Fair 3 Average 4 Above Average 5 Exceptional

Types of Rating Scales Graphic Rating Scales Rater can mark their judgment at a location on a line of frequency. Never Seldom Occasionally Frequently Always

Uses of Rating Scales Most familiar tends to be report cards.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Rating Scales Used for behaviors not easily measured by other means Quick and easy to use Min training needed Easy to develop and use Disadvantages Highly subjective (rater error and bias are common) Ambiguous terms can cause issues Tell little about the causes of behavior

Rubrics

Rubrics Types Holistic => a rubric with competency levels that indicate levels of performance. It assigns a single score to a student’s performance. Example on pg 176 Analytic => a rubric that provides diagnostic feedback and is more specific than a holistic rubric Example on pg 177 Developmental => a rubric that is organized using domains of development. Example on pg 178

Rubrics How Rubrics are Designed and Used Selecting the type. Decide what type is to be used and then design the selected form. Three tasks to be assessed in that rubric are: Understanding the problem Solving the problem Answering the problem Each category has different dimensions.

Rubrics Developing Scoring Criteria Newer teachers find a generalized rubric useful to start their own. Herman, Aschbacher and Winters (1992) four common elements that characterize rubric scoring criteria: One or more traits/dimensions that serve as the basis for the student’s response. Definitions and examples to clarify the meaning of each trait or dimension A scale of vales on which to rate a dimension Standards of excellence for specified performance levels accompanied by models or examples of each level.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Rubrics Provide guidelines for quality performance Flexible Adaptable Used by students and teachers before and after completing tasks Can be translated into grades Disadvantages Can be difficult to design (determining scores) Focus can be on general or inappropriate criteria Should not focus on the quantity of a characteristic Lack validity and reliability

Developing Quality…. Checklists Rating Scales Rubrics List by Linn & Miller (2005), page 180 Rating Scales List on page 180 Rubrics McMillan (2007), page 181

Developing Quality…. Consistency in Conducting and Scoring Assessments Review the items and indicators and agree on what each is intended to measure Instrument should be piloted by individual teacher to determine if any items are unclear or difficult to assess Scoring instructions should be reviewed before the assessment Scoring instructions should be made according to the purposes of the assessment