Rubrics for Complex Papers/Projects Academic Assessment Workshop May 13-14, 2010 Bea Babbitt, Ph.D.

2 The Teaching-Learning-Assessment Cycle 1. Learning Outcomes 4. Using Results 2. Learning Opportunities 3. Measurement and Analysis

Assessment Plan Program Learning Outcomes + Selected universal UG learning outcomes Curriculum Matrix (where taught/what level) Assessment Matrix Which questions/benchmarks Where/when assessed How assessed (what tools) Who analyzes/reports Who determines implications How disseminated

Alignment with Unit Accreditation NWCCU Broad guidelines Six or seven outcomes Choose own tools Direct & Indirect Grades alone insufficient Collect some data each semester Emphasis-use results to improve teaching and learning Document results, use, and effect Unit Accreditation

Complex Project Can be used to gather information on multiple learning outcomes for the course or program. Examples include end-of-semester paper or project, semester-long project, capstone project, research study, clinical experience, thesis, dissertation.

Assessment Definition Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. ~Tom Angelo, AAHE Assessment Forum

Can you answer the following questions? What do you want students to learn? How well do you want them to learn it? What evidence of learning will you require? Do students understand your expectations? How well do individual students or groups of students perform? What’s the relationship between instruction and various components and levels of performance? When performance doesn’t match expectations, what actions can be taken to improve performance? Do the actions taken result in improved performance?

What’s a rubric? Scoring tool Lays out specific expectations for an assignment Divides an assignment into its component parts Provides a detailed description of what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable levels of performance for each of those parts

Why rubrics for complex papers/projects? Defines major components of paper/project Communicates expectations Conveys feedback to students Saves grading time Insures cross-section/cross-instructor scoring consistency (with training, of course) Facilitates aggregating scores across students/sections to determine group performance on each skill component, or program or general education objective.

Parts of a Rubric Task description (the assignment) Scale (e.g. Exceeds expectations, meets expectations, below expectations) Dimensions (a breakdown of the skills/knowledge demonstrated through the assignment) Descriptions (describes the dimension in detail at each level of the scale) set out on a grid (matrix).

Basic Rubric Grid Format Scale Level 1 Scale Level 2 Scale Level 3 Scale Level 4 Dimension 1 Dimension 2 Dimension 3 Dimension 4 Dimension 5 Assignment Title Task Description:

Rubric with Scale: High to Low ExemplaryProficientBasicNovice Dimension 1 Dimension 2 Dimension 3 Dimension 4 Dimension 5 Short Essay Task Description (complete):

Add Dimensions ExemplaryProficientBasicNovice Structure Analysis Evidence Add dimension Short Essay Task Description (complete):

OutstandingMeets Expectations PoorName this level Clarity of IdeasGenerally easy to read Ideas appear to relate to one another Ideas do not easily flow from one paragraph to another. Disease DescriptionDescription is accurate Graphs/charts enhance disease explanation Impact on populace described No description of the disease SymptomsOutlines and describes each of the symptoms Relates symptoms to the cause/origin of the disease in a few cases Provides list of symptoms with no description Does not relate symptoms to cause/origin of the disease Etc. Write Descriptions Position Paper Task Description: Write a research paper on an assigned disease. Partial Rubric

Examples, examples, examples

Starter Resources Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment Miller, R., & Leskes, A. (2005). Levels of assessment: From the student to the institution. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Colleges and Universities. UNLV Assessment Home Page Winona State University Sample Rubrics