1. Allie Davidson
Educational Technology Development Coordinator
August 17, 2018
Leveraging cuLearn Assignments and Rubrics to Enhance Assessment Practices

2. LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! What do you hope to get out of this session?
Have you used the cuLearn assignment tool before?
Have you used rubrics before?
If so, what has your experience been like?

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this workshop you will be able to:
Identify benefits and challenges of using cuLearn assignments
Create assignments in cuLearn
Manage assignments in gradebook
Identify feedback strategies using cuLearn assignments
Create rubrics and marking guides in cuLearn

4. PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT
Looking for Comprehension and Application; Educating Students
Formative (during term)
Assessment for learning
Correction and guidance
Summative (end of term)
Assessment of learning (competence)

5. What does helpful feedback look like?
Question time!
What does helpful feedback look like?

6. HELPFUL FEEDBACK Quality, frequency and timeliness Respond as a reader
Record your reactions
Explain when you are having difficulty reading and why
Report when the reading is going well and why
IET: Identification, Explanation, Translation
PIP: Praise specific, Improvement, Positive overall
Source: Bellows, N. Three Step Process of Commenting on Student Work

7. cuLEARN ASSIGNMENT Online “Dropbox” submission
Advanced submission management features
Multiple feedback options
Connected to Gradebook

8. DEMO TIME! How to set up an assignment
Go through settings options in assignment set up
Grading assignments
Direct grading (quick grading button, toggle, where to put grade and feedback)
Bulk export of assignments (show export, edit document, show bulk import)
How to grant extension
Gradebook
Show prepopulated grade items
Hide/show grade option
How to exclude a grade
How to lock a grade
How to override a grade

9. RUBRICS DEFINED
An instructional tool
Assigns grades
Provides feedback

10. EXAMPLE RUBRIC

11. Example Marking Guide (AKA rubric)

12. RUBRIC: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
3-4 levels of performance (plus 0 in cuLearn)
Each level given a weight
3-6 criteria
Descriptive language, not evaluative
Continuous and parallel descriptions
No relative terms (more/fewer vs. many/few)

13. WHAT DO YOU THINK? How can rubrics help instructors?
How can rubrics help students?
What could be some issues/challenges when using rubrics?

14. HOW CAN RUBRICS HELP INSTRUCTORS?
Clarify expectations and make assessment more transparent
Speed up marking time
Make grading less tedious
More consistency across grading

15. HOW CAN RUBRICS HELP STUDENTS?
Understand assignment goals
See what constitutes beginner → exemplary performance
Receive structured, individualized feedback
Visual representation of grading

16. COMMON ISSUES USING RUBRICS
Misalignment with learning outcomes/activities
Too general or too much detail
Can conceal feedback
Grader subjectivity

17. CULEARN RUBRIC AND MARKING GUIDE
In assignment activity
Connected to Gradebook
Marking Guide:
More lenient than rubric
Only set criteria
Response bank

18. TIPS FOR CREATING RUBRICS
Start early! Give yourself time to create rubric
Define assignment learning outcomes
Look at examples
Get feedback from colleagues and/or EDC
Be prepared to revise
Work backwards: start with defining highest level of performance

19. TIPS WHEN USING RUBRICS
Get students involved in creating rubric
Use for formative and summative assessment
Give students rubric before assignment is due
Use for self/peer assessment

20. RUBRIC RESOURCES rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm
rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
Teaching tip: Scoring Rubrics
Grading and Rubrics: TA support

21. Contact us! edtech@carleton.ca (613) 520-2600 Ext. 4433
carleton.ca/edc

22. REFERENCES
Andrade, H. G Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning. Educational Leadership 57(5):
Andrade, H. G. (2005). Teaching with rubrics: The good, the bad and the ugly. College Teaching, 53 (1),
Scoring Rubrics Teaching Tip. Carleton Educational Development Centre.
Weimer, Maryellen. “Rubrics: The Essentials.” Faculty Focus. November 30, 2010
Stevens, Dannelle D. & Antonia Levi. “Leveling the Field: Using Rubrics to Achieve Greater Equity in Teaching and Grading.”Essays on Teaching Excellence. POD Network.
“What is a Rubric?” Relearning by Design, Inc. 2000
Cluster, Rodney L. “Rubrics: An Authentic Assessment Tool for Technology Education.” The Technology Teacher

23. IMAGE SOURCES
teacher-ever-372c2