roger,
Thanks for your input. Glad you see it as a way to help them reach the learning outcomes. This is very important. I have tried putting the comment section at the top of the rubric instead of the bottom and that seems to help the students focus on the comments as well.
Speaking from experience, many of my students cannot attend the live chats when they are scheduled. They listen to the recorded archives later, so they don't get the opportunity to ask questions in the moment when I am describing the assignments. With the rubric, students who are unable to participate live, by choice or circumstance, will still have the same advantage to do well on the assignments as all other students. They will read the same criteria, see the same detail, and follow the same objectives as every other student. They could still learn via self direction but still feel like part of a larger class by following a structured rubric.
Natalie,
I have tried to have 4 live chats a semester and schedule them at various times. For example, 8:00 a.m. on a Monday, noon on a Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. on a Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. on a Friday. I put these dates/times (spread out throughout the semester) in the syllabus and tell the students on day one that they have to choose two to attend. They have to rearrange their schedule to just meet two of the four. OR, you could do 1 of 4 or whatever works for you, but then they all have the opportunity to ask question. I record each one as well so all will have access to the recorded session. It's just something that works for me. Thanks for sharing.
I am also an online instructor, and the rubric is important because it provides my class with weighted guidelines. For example, if the students are tasked to install a database then that task is weighted. A weighted rubric is important because it gives students a set of step-by-step instructions to go by. I get fewer emails and phone calls asking for explanations.
Basing our scoring and later grading upon a rubric allows the students to focus on the expectations of the assignment within trying to second guess what we are looking for. It answers questions before they are asked.
Diana,
Right. They help students better understand the expectations. When the are more clear, students are more likely to achieve the learning outcomes. Thanks for your input.
Darcel,
Yes, good rubrics should reduce the number of questions from the students and lessen the confusion on the expectations. Nice job.
I find that they provide valuable feedback to the student(s). Also, I believe they are helpful in guiding the student when they are analyzing and determining how they will complete their assignment.
Teaching writing with rubrics is always a struggle, and I'm sure any writing colleagues will agree with me here. On the one hand, there are indeed "measurables" where grammar, formatting, citation, and so forth are concerned, but writing is also quite subjective in nature. I do feel rubrics with writing assignments are important so learners can visualize a breakdown of their score; it just becomes difficult at times for writing teachers to objectify, in a rubric, a subjective skill/talent. :)
Darcy
Darcy,
I use rubrics all the time in business communication and they have been helpful for students in writing business letters and reports. Thanks!
Mike,
Love the words you are using - guiding, analyzing, valuable. Three good words to describe rubrics. Glad you and your students find them useful. Thank you.
I do like that it makes it clear to the student in regards to how they will be graded.
I find that I am always improving on my rubrics. As I learn over time what makes a great submission, then I will improve the grading rubric I use.
Janis,
Improving the rubrics over time is essential for both the students and instructor. Nice job.
Dr. Crews, I think reading your feedback on this DB has been more helpful than you may realize. Yes, I am learning about rubrics, but I am the choir. What I am learning is the value of your positive feedback. I am learning from the tone of your response, your word choice, the length of the response, and the directness of your statement. The more I read, the better my responses become to my students. I am learning by your example and I think of myself as a seasoned, responsible, conscientious instructor. Thank you.
Diana,
So glad this is beneficial to you. Email me any time you want to chit chat. ;-)
As an online instructor, it is neither more or less important. On-ground instructors also need to use rubrics. Unfortunately, on-ground instructors have more leeway when it comes to grading essays.
In an on-ground class, objective multiple choice tests are quite common. For these tests, a rubric is unnecessary. On the other hand, subjective tests and essays typically need rubrics because there is a greater possibility of variation. Personally, I prefer objective tests over subjective tests. Even so, at the school where I teach, subjective test or essays are the norm. Thus, rubrics are essential.
Donald L. Buresh
Donald,
But rubrics are also necessary for assignments, projects, discussion board, etc.
I believe that using a rubric is important because you provide students with the needed information for them to be successful. In all of my online classes, I provide all students with a detailed rubric and many of them have often advised that they found this tool to be very helpful for understanding the assignment purpose as well as provide a detailed guide for the grade they would like to receive.
Hi, Roger... I agree with you because many of my students have shared scores with one another based on having a rubric. I also must agree that once I implemented rubrics, I saw a decline in student's emailing me various questions about the assignment expectations.
I agree - it helps to standardize the responses and ensure objectivity when assessing grades.
