Leading the Horse to Water - Rubrics ?
While much of accounting, which I teach online, involves solving specific problems with specific solutions, I also have essay and/or formal APA paper assignments for the learners to complete. For these, I prepare and post the rubrics at the same time the assignment becomes available for the learners. I'm bumfuzzled that the learners ignore the rubrics altogether. I have the distinct impression that the rubrics are not reviewed until I incorporate the rubric into the assignment and return it to the learner and even then, sometimes, I must tell them to look at the rubric which shows exactly where they earned or lost points!
Does anyone have any tips on encouraging the learners to use them before they submit their assignments?
Shelley,
I do use track changes to measure who accesses the rubric. I have also had students to give me development plan on how to improve their writing based on my feedback. That does make them look!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Good question. I teach film online and pretty much wanted to know the same thing. The way my class breaks down each week is that I have a video followed by a quiz. An assignment and a forum to post in discussing the topic. I always include a rubric for the assignment and a printable hand-out of whats on the quiz and still I run into this problem.
Emory,
Sounds like you are well organized! I do similar things. I do think we have to lay some responsibility at the feet of the students when they don't use the tools but still want a good/great grade. I now start looking at the LMS logs to determine how often they are in the class.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I do believe the responsibility lies at the feet of the learner, but sometimes developing a professional relationship with your students consistently reminding them of the importance of utilizing the tools which have been given them will assist in incorporating the help which you provide.
Tim,
You speak the truth! It does help to develop those professional relationship, you are modeling future behaviors!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Great Question! At the beginning of each course I post many announcement and send e-mails about the Rubric. I was once told by a marketing professor that it takes a person about 7 times to see something before it sticks. I try to use this principle with the rubric in my course. I post it everywhere and make mention of it in many different forms.
Samantha,
Good idea. They can't say they didn't know it existed. That is also good instructional design.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Samantha: I've heard about the 7 times thing before as well. Where I teach, the grading rubrics are included in the assignment, but I find myself doing what you do--posting announcements about them, sending emails about them, and finally discussing them in our live chats. Yet, I still have students who claim they didn't know about them. (sigh)
Dr. Vicki,
I am really debating the process of continual emailing. I wonder if it is a crutch as students will know you will provide them for you multiple times so I have stopped sending them and refer to them repeatedly. I am trying. . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi Shelly,
At the beginning of the course, I post an Announcement titled “Important..Please Read..Will Affect your GRADE†and list my expectations regarding the essay assignments. I explain that it is important that they read the Essay question and expectation (rubric and specifically the page requirement) because it might vary from week to week. Sometimes the essay has to be one (1) page and sometimes it has to be two (2) pages. It amazes me when the student submits a one page essay and the requirement is two pages. When I deduct points, he or she will send me an email questioning their grade. When I ask if they read my announcement titled “Important..Please Read…..â€, I sometimes don’t receive a response.
When I post the end of the week announcement advising that grades have been posted, I mention again how important it is for them to read my announcements and the essay requirements (rubric) because it might affect their grade.
Kimberly,
Great strategies. I have started using my LMS capabilities more as I can track who is accessing what in my LMS. This does allow me to give them data when they tell me they read everything. It keeps them honest.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Constant reminders given to the class on-line and in class if possible, telling the students the rubric is available fro viewing by the students is extremely helpful.
james,
Agreed, you have to remind and use the rubrics for their assessment. Sometimes students don' think we use them, but we do!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I've had the same issue. Unfortunately, I don't have a concrete answer. In my experience, I've had a few students who are quite diligent and determined actually consider and apply the content of the rubric from the beginning. Overall, the students tend to catch on over the course of the term. Some students argue or raise a complaint regarding their grade, but I consistently provide detailed feedback each week based on the rubric content. When the horse chooses not to drink the water, I can only continue to lead the horse to the water in hopes that one day it will be thirsty enough to actually drink the water. Dehydration (i.e. low scores) tend to help get the point across eventually if they will not take on the responsibility of being responsible to review the rubric and follow the road map from the start.
Aundrea,
You are right. That is why I am trying to change the culture of grading in one of my courses. (yes it is a very small movement). I don't call it grading I call it evaluation and feedback. Students must react to the feedback in a journal in the LMS. I want them to understand the importance of the feedback.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr. Wilkinson:
Could you provide any specific information on how you use track changes to measure who accesses the rubric? I only know how to use track changes in a word document to comment on some specific element included in the paper. I use it make corrections and suggestions for resources.
Suzanne
