Authentic AssessmentAuthentic Assessment

Using RubricsUsing Rubricsto Evaluateto Evaluate

Project-Based Project-Based LearningLearning

Curriculum content created and presented by Dr. Alexandra Leavell

Associate Professor of Teacher Education

University of North Texas

Module ObjectivesModule Objectives

List and explain the characteristics of a rubric.

Enumerate the benefits of rubrics to teachers and students.

Describe the criteria of an effective rubric.

Essential QuestionsEssential Questions

How will the use of PBL and authentic assessments help me meet the needs of learners with different abilities?

How will using rubrics help me meet curricular goals?

How do rubrics help my students become better learners?

How will rubrics improve my teaching?

The Cookie DilemmaThe Cookie Dilemma

Which chocolate chip cookie would you want to eat?

Cookie elements or dimensions: Overall Taste Texture Color Number of chocolate chips Richness

The Cookie DilemmaThe Cookie Dilemma

Range of “performance” for a chocolate chip cookie: Delicious (7-8) Tasty (5-6) Edible (3-4) Yuck! (1-2)

The Cookie DilemmaThe Cookie Dilemma

Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck

Number of chips

Texture

Color

Overall taste

Richness

Cookie RubricCookie Rubric

Cookie RubricCookie Rubric

View a web page or download a printable version of the completed cookie rubric which appears on the next slide from the Resources page.

Delicious Tasty Edible Yuck

Number of chips

Chip in every bite

Chips in 75% of bites

Chips in 50% of bites

Too few chips

Texture Chewy Chewy middle,

crispy edges

Crunchy or uncooked

Like a dog biscuit

Color Golden brown

Too brown or too light

Very brown or very

light

Burned

Overall taste

Home baked taste

Quality store bought taste

Tasteless Tastes terrible,

burnt, stale

Richness Rich, creamy, High fat

Medium fat content

Low-fat flavor

Nonfat flavor

Cookie RubricCookie Rubric

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsof a Rubricof a Rubric

A scoring guide which:

Directly examines learner performance on “worthy intellectual tasks” (Wiggins)

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. (1998) Understanding by Design.

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsof a Rubricof a Rubric

A scoring guide which:

Describes different performance criteria

Defines precise requirements

Type of authentic assessment

Allows for varying levels of expertise

Gives a range or continuum of performance levels

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsof a Rubricof a Rubric

Scaffolds learner improvementBenchmark descriptions define task

competencies or criteriaHelps teachers identify areas each

student needs to improveAllows students to understand how to

improve projects and get a better grade

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsof a Rubricof a Rubric

Both a formative and a summative assessmentFormative assessment because it

defines criteria for student performance in advance

Summative assessment because it will be the basis for determining a grade for the project

CharacteristicsCharacteristicsof a Rubricof a Rubric

Why Use Rubrics?Why Use Rubrics?

Rubrics can be an integral part of the teaching and learning processGive students a basis for self-

assessmentPromote independent learningEliminate vague assessment criteria

and overly subjective performance behavior

Teachers UseTeachers Use Rubrics to… Rubrics to…

Answer the question “Why did you give me a D?”

Define expectations for learners and for themselves by clearly showing students how their work will be evaluated

Link assignments clearly to curricular goals

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Inform instruction as criteria are defined

Provide an effective means to evaluate skills and processes, especially those (like PBL) which don’t lend themselves to a simple objective assessment approach

Teachers UseTeachers Use Rubrics to… Rubrics to…

Communicate specific information to parents and other stakeholders about student performance and learning objectives

Provide helpful feedback regarding the effectiveness of instruction

Provide benchmarks for evaluating student progress

Teachers UseTeachers Use Rubrics to… Rubrics to…

Students UseStudents UseRubrics to… Rubrics to…

Answer the question “Why did I get a D?”

Take more responsibility for their learning

Increase independence

Lower anxiety about assignments and projects

D??

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Get involved in the teaching/learning process through self and peer evaluation

Heighten awareness regarding concepts and learning processes (by constructing their own rubrics)

Students UseStudents UseRubrics to… Rubrics to…

When Should IWhen Should I Use a Rubric? Use a Rubric?

“Real life learning”

To address complex and subjective criteria

For non-objective types of assignments

When the nature of the learning is not cut and dried, i.e. there is no “right” answer and no “wrong” answer

Technical projects

Project-based learning

When Should IWhen Should I Use a Rubric? Use a Rubric?

Holistic RubricsHolistic Rubrics

Evaluate students’ work as a whole

See Resources for an example of a holistic rubric.

Analytic RubricsAnalytic Rubrics

Assesses components of the project in progress and when finished.

One example would be the chocolate chip cookie rubric.

See another example in Resources.

ReviewReview

This module covers:

Characteristics of rubrics

How rubrics can guide learners

How rubrics help teachers adjust instruction

Types of tasks that are appropriate for the use of rubrics

PreparationPreparation

Before watching the next ADAM,read more about authentic assessments and rubrics from the Resources web page.

In the next module, creating rubrics will be discussed.