Rubrics:: Sharing the Rules of the Game

The topic and purpose of this paper is to explore within the literature the theoretical foundations within the literature and are proposed as the theoretical foundations. The theoretical foundations included the educator and the learning environment. Both students and instructors have expressed concern with providing timely, objective and constructive feedback. One study (Gallien & Oomen-Early, 2008) found that students who and performed academically better than students who received only collective feedback. An earlier study (Harvey, 2001) found that while students rated their teachers and support highly, they were In the September issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education (2015), Dan Berrett (2016) proposed that faculty can make assignments more transparent by asking themselves several questions: What exactly do they want students to do? Task Why are they asking students to do it? Purpose How will they evaluate the work? Criteria (p. A27). This concept of “transparency” was also discussed by Churchs (n.d.) as “. absolutely vital that the students know what they are being assessed on and what their learning outcomes and goals are. It is not acceptable to hand back an assessment with pass or fail and not explain why they achieved that particular result or outcome (p. 11). ” Praslova, (2010), wrote that Journal of Instructional Research | Volume 5 (2016) 20 GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY would hold true for assessing student effectiveness or grade. WHAT IS A RUBRIC? One method that can provide this feedback or criteria, and make it more objective, reducing meet the need for personalized feedback, they can facilitate a pre-assessment narrative between faculty and learners. Again, Churchs (n.d.) suggested that, “One of the tools we can use for providing effective feedback and, hence, formative assessment, is suitable rubrics (p. 14). ” A rubric is a visual narrative of the criteria that of an assignment. The criteria are stated in several levels of competence; from not meeting the requirement to mastering it. As one author (Andrade, 2005) reported, a rubric provides feedback which in turn provides clear and individually focused diagnostic feedback. This assessment tool meets the requirements for reliability (stating explicit criteria and performance indicators), validity (linkage with stated learning outcomes), and effectiveness (transparent; consistent; and detailed feedback), (Rubrics for Assessment, n.d.). Shipman, et al., (2012, p.1) stated “. a rubric that consistently assesses student performance and provides meaningful feedback is essential in today’s learning environment. If students are not given feedback that is consistent or meaningful, then they may feel their grades are not valid, thus sending mixed messages to the student. When expectations are not clear, the unacceptable performance may transfer into the work environment. ” A fairly comprehensive describes the important components of the work being planned or evaluated” (Rubric for Rubrics, n.d.). In the Preface to Introduction to Rubrics, the authors reported that rubrics are one of the “handiest” tools for educators since the invention of the blackboard (Stevens & Levi, 2005). The term “rubric” is not new nor is it restricted to education. The term actually comes from the importance of the item or area and then is followed by an explanation. The term has long been used as medical labels for diseases and procedures (rubric, n.d). In education, the rubric is often confused with “checklist” (Hudson, 2014). While both methods are useful tools that can guide students who are working on school assignments, they are different systems for providing feedback. A checklist is not a rubric, it is simply a set of criteria teachers provide assignment. However, the criteria or checklist may In 1996, the National Research Council described what might be considered a format for a rubric. When they describe “. the essential characteristics of exemplary assessment practices. ” (p. 75) and they proposed that the standards could be applied equally to the assessment of students, teachers and programs. This evaluation may be accomplished by what is now known as a rubric (Wolf & Stevens, 2007). While the use of rubrics would seem to a natural occurrence, it seems that people either love rubrics or hate them. Some appreciate the time that time-consuming to develop, and too generic to be of any value. CREATING RUBRICS General format for developing a rubric. There are several formats for developing rubrics. Churchs (n.d.) proposed 5 stages in rubric development: Stage 1-Task Development (learning outcomes, key 2-Assessment Mode; formative or summative, when used, aspects of feedback, who is assessed (self, peer or combinations); Stage 3-Design; style, terms; Stage 4-Rubric Development; criteria for excellence, transition from lower to higher; Stage 5-Use and Evaluate (pp 19-25). The steps suggested by Mertler, (2001) include: 1. Examine and list the criteria and learning attributes and their performance levels. Even with descriptive and numeric criterion in the rubric, there needs to be narrative feedback to clarify low performance. 3. Use brainstorming techniques, then write a description of the evidence for each performance level (good assignments good and the poor assignments poor). 4. Determine which rubric will best meet the goal; analytic, holistic, or singlepoint. 5. Develop the format or grid to be used. 6.