The LearnedWord/ Kathleen Taylor ä Rubric “These days, a rubric is generally understood as a scoring guide or checklist that outlines the criteria by which a paper or project is assessed. Educators rate rubrics high for their objectivity; students value them for their direction (“a paper gets a top score in Mechanics when it has fewer than 10 errors of spelling, punctuation, and grammar”). But where does the word rubric come from? Check your Latin; rubric has a Latin ancestor in ruber, meaning red. History teachers may recognize the role establishing the place of rubric played by the ancient Romans, who highlighted important messages in red. During the Middle Ages, rubric referred to the heading of a chapter or other part of a manuscript that stood out from other sections of the text, commonly by outlining or coloring it red. Churches found plenty of applications for rubric, ranging from a rule governing the conduct of a liturgical service to a calendar of saints (remember, a red-letter day originally referred to a saint’s Feast Day, outlined in red on the calendar). For centuries, rubric — colored red or not — has meant name, title, category, or gloss. Most recently, after educators sharpened their red pencils, our modern grading rubric was born.” KATHLEEN TAYLOR hosted Word for the Wise, an internationally syndicated radio program on language, for 15 years. Source: Phi Delta Kappan, vol.91, no.4, pp.7, 2009

Purposes of Assessment in Higher Education 1. Understanding where students are at 2. Measuring how students are progressing 3. Measuring if the course or program is meeting the learning goals

Rubrics can address all three purposes Diagnostic Formative Summative

Creating a Rubric 1.Identify the purpose: – Holistic grade assignment; specific task description; analytical feedback on specific criteria 2.Connect to learning objectives or expectations 3.Consider scale: – Letter grades, percentages, weightings, etc. 4.Define and differentiate each level : – What does each level look like

Height Endurance Speed

Connecting Student Learning to Program Goals Begin with the end in mind Program goals and professional standards Connect criteria of assessment to these goals Connect criteria Chalk and Wire

Benefits of Rubrics Adds objectivity to assessment of complex learning assignments Explicitly describes the skills and concepts to be assessed, expectations are made clear Provides a holistic assessment of a project/paper without specific numerical calculations can be created with students to ensure they understand expectations

Challenges in Using Rubrics Matching rubric to university grading system Still room for subjectivity that students don’t anticipate May be more challenging for TA’s to apply