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Fostering a Student-Centric Classroom: Part II - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Conference Participation Criteria
I give weekly participation a significant
percent of the course grade (30%).
1.
I define my grading criteria:
A professional conference response, if clear
and concise, will merit a B. You will have to
2.
Fostering a Student-Centric Classroom: Part II
Joan Berkowitz
Adjunct Faculty
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2004
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Classroom-communication
Part I | Part II
"Going for the Gold" in On-line Classes Part II: Mining the Student-Directed Class
This two-part article describes one professor's approach to collaborating with students in a search for
excellence. Part I covers the first steps in establishing a dialog from teacher to student, student to
teacher, and student to student in the WebTycho classroom. Part II describes how to foster a
continuing class dialogue such that the course ultimately becomes student-directed -- and richer.
Structuring Ongoing Open Dialog
I set up conferences for each week of the course and make them all available on Day 1. In doing this, I
encourage students to submit their work early rather than late if they know they will be away. (Many
do. All appreciate the flexibility.)
My conferences typically include the following main topics:
Overview of the week – I summarize the topic for the week and the content of each module.
Lecturette – I discuss the topic for the week, adding to the material in the textbook or explaining it in
different words, and then I invite questions/comments. (Note: I don't find Powerpoints are effective as
stand-alone documents in online classes. Also, I find questions and comments flow much more easily
when students can read a well-written lecture right in the topic than when they have to download an
attachment.)
Readings for the week – I make clarifications and corrections on the week's readings (textbook,
website, or articles in Reserved Readings), draw attention to key passages, and invite
questions/comments.
Assignment information – I give detailed descriptions of the week's assignment (for submission in the
gradebook) and clarify due dates, especially if the schedule has changed. Here students can ask
questions, and all can easily locate my answers. In some cases, students answer each others' questions
before I do.
As part of the grade, I require every student to post a
comment or question on the lecturette or the readings
each week (see sidebar for my conference participation
criteria).
I do not ask specific discussion questions. I have tried it
both ways. When I provide discussion questions, the first
five respondents cover the topic quite well, and the rest
chime in with agreement. In contrast, an open-ended
Fostering a Student-Centric Classroom: Part II - DE Oracle
do extra for an A. This may involve
additional reading (with references), a
pertinent website, an original idea, a probing
question, an example from your own
experience, or other contributions that
indicate a truly excellent job.
I make it clear that I don't grade
presentation style, grammar, or punctuation
in the conference responses (in contrast to
my expectations for exams and term
papers). I want students to write
spontaneously.
3.
I do not deduct points for late submissions of
conference responses. The conferences
remain open all semester, for two reasons:
For students, one of the main attractions
of online classes is the opportunity to fit
their coursework into their own schedules
I know (by asking them) that students
are clear on the need to keep up with the
work; therefore, I don't find it necessary
to set up a rigid schedule for them. That's
their responsibility. (If a student is in
danger of falling behind, I do send an
e-mail that falls just short of
threatening.)
4.
invitation to comment or question evokes fruitful
responses from most students.
My Role as Expert Facilitator
I read the conference discussions almost daily, and I
participate in them regularly, so that students know I am
paying attention and can gain from my perspective. But I
participate indirectly, from the sidelines, in a coaching
rather than in an dominating way:
If a student makes an error or misunderstands
something, I point it out.
If a student asks a question, I answer it.
One student suggested, however, that I shouldn't be
too quick to do that. I should wait a day or two to give
fellow classmates a chance to answer.
If individual students fail to realize what they have to
contribute, I direct questions to them based on their
bios.
If I want the class to explore some aspect of the topic
that they have overlooked, I post my thoughts to
stimulate further thinking.
Leaving a "footprint" has never presented any difficulty.
After all, what professor is ever at a loss for words? On
those rare occasions when it happens, I post a note saying
that I am not intervening because the discussion is going so well.
The Value Added in the Student-Directed Course
In response to my open-ended requests to "Post your comments and questions below," I have been
truly amazed at the richness and the value of the conference discussions.
Students' questions let me know where the text or I have not been clear.
Personal experiences shared by students with prior knowledge of the subject make the discussions
come alive.
Websites and other resources (policies, protocols, slide shows, training materials) that students link to
or attach add value by clarifying or expanding on the topic under discussion. These resources would be
almost impossible to find on one's own.
About 85 percent of the conference contributions are substantive. When I ask for a course evaluation in
the Week Fifteen conference, students mention how much they learned from the material provided by
their fellows. That doesn't do much for the professorial ego, but my objective is not to prove how smart
I am but to instill in students the confidence to test their knowledge, understanding, and insights with
their peers as well as with me.
Within the framework provided by my syllabus, students determine the specific topics to be discussed,
to their own benefit. For example, my own experience is almost entirely with industrial organizations;
many of my students are employed by Federal departments or agencies. Without any prodding from
me, they provide excellent first-hand examples of how the coursework relates to their organizations. In
one class, a student was interested in learning more about airline accidents, a topic mentioned only
briefly in the text. A classmate was a pilot for Southwest Airlines and a living encyclopedia on the
subject. I asked him to respond, and he did so with far greater authority than I could have.
Fostering a Student-Centric Classroom: Part II - DE Oracle
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Conclusion
Going for the gold -- mining the intellects and experiences of the students -- is a responsibility, and it is
a shared joy for instructor and students alike. For all, it means being the best that we can be. It means
collaborating in the search for those nuggets of new knowledge and new insights that make a
difference in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we interact. In this model, the instructor is
no longer the "sage on the stage", [1] but a participant in a mutual learning experience.
I like to think of teaching and learning online as a revival of the ancient art of letter writing. Getting a
reply from teacher or fellow student to a thought or idea or question posted in the online classroom
creates the same sense of excitement as receiving a letter from a friend. One student told me that the
conference correspondence was so rewarding that I didn't have to make participation part of the grade.
I disagree, but when obligatory and encouraged, participation does become habit-forming and fruitful.
Both professor and students reap tremendous rewards.
________________________________________
[1] George Collison, Bonnie Elbaum, Sarah Haavind, and Robert Tinker. Facilitating Online Learning.
Atwood Publishing , Madison, WI, 2000 (ISBN 1-891859-33-1)
About the Author(s)
Dr. Joan Berkowitz teaches at UMUC's Graduate School of Management and Technology in the ENVM program. She has taught
courses in Planning for Environmental Managers, ISO 14001, Land and Water Resource Management, Watershed Planning and
Management, and Environmental Risk Assessment. She is Managing Director of Farkas Berkowitz & Company, a management
consulting firm that assists companies in the environmental industry with strategic planning, profitability improvement, and
commercialization of technology. Prior to co-founding Farkas Berkowitz & Company, with Alan Farkas, she was Vice President
of Arthur D. Little, Inc., in charge of that firm's environmental practice world-wide. Dr. Berkowitz holds a B.A. in chemistry
from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Illinois. She is a graduate of the Senior
Executive Program of the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.
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University of Maryland University College Undergraduate Schedule of Classes 2004 1-Spring
No full textUniversity of Maryland University College School of Undergraduate Studies Schedule of Classes Spring 2004. www.umuc.edu/ugp
Assessment, Feedback and Rubrics - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Assessment, Feedback and Rubrics
Susan Ko
Director
Center for Teaching and Learning
Published: November-December 2004
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
Assessment
Simply said, assessment is about identifying what students should learn and then determining how well
a student has learned.
Assessments should grow out of the learning objectives that have been established for students.
Making sure that assessments are in alignment with the learning objectives means that students can
gain a better understanding of what they have learned and where they have fallen short.
Faculty may use problem-solving, case studies, debates, analytic essays or collaborative activities as
well as descriptive essays, summaries, factual tests, and traditional research papers to assess their
students.
Sometimes the experience and process of learning are as important for students as the deliverable--in
that case, an assessment will require that students follow a particular path to attain the deliverable. For
example, you may want to have an incremental research project which grades students on each stage
of the research, from focusing on a topic to creating a working bibliography to delivering an outline,
successive drafts, and a final paper. In a course that requires problem solving, you may ask students to
show how they arrived at a solution, not only give the solution.
Another important aspect of finding the right mix of assessments is providing a chance for students to
reflect on what they have learned. This may involve something as simple as an initial assignment that
requires students to reveal what they already know and to later follow up with an assignment that asks
them to reflect on how their perceptions have changed during the course.
Probably some of the greatest pitfalls instructors face in devising assessments for online courses are
over-reliance on one or two types of assessment and not thoroughly thinking throug the details and
organization of those assessments.
Instructors should strive to use a variety of different assessments so that students have an adequate
opportunity to demonstrate their learning, so that instructors are able to gain a full picture of the
student's proficiencies and weaknesses, and also to provide a measure of security that comes from
being able to compare student work presented in different contexts.
The folllowing provides some notes on a few types of assessments and the respective issues raised by
their use:
Peer-to-Peer Assessments
These include peer review and critiques, using instructor-provided rubrics as guidelines. These can be
particularly effective in that they require students to scrutinize an assignment twice--first, upon
completing the assignment on their own, and the second time, with fresh eyes as they evaluate
another's work. For peer review to be most effective, a portion of the student's grade should be
Assessment, Feedback and Rubrics - DE Oracle
assigned based on how well the student has critiqued another in addition to the work that the student
himself has produced. Peer review is typically accomplished via written comments but it can also be in
the form of a table that students fill out according to criteria provided by the instructor.
Collaborative Group Assignments
If you do not assess and grade both the individual effort and the collaborative one, students will tend to
slight that portion that is not graded. Many instructors find it difficult to assess group work--they want
to make sure that they are not unfairly slighting individual contributions. This challenge can be met in
two ways--make sure the group effort is observable to you so that individual contributions are obvious
and ask students to evaluate each other's efforts as well as their own. If you ask students to evaluate
other group members, make sure that you provide a simplified rubric to them to do so. Also request
that your students evaluate their own work by means of this rubric. Let them know that the peer
evaluations will not be the only element in their grade and that you intend to assess their contribution
to the group independently of this peer effort.
Research Papers
Make sure that your assessment criteria for research papers include stipulations about what proportion
of research references may be derived from the Web, what portion from electronic resources provided
by the library and what portion from other books and journals. Mention which documentation system is
to be used and what part of the grade, if any, will be determined by the accuracy of documentation.
Portfolios
Some positive aspects of using portfolios are that they assist students in reflecting on their own
progress and critiquing their own work. Some drawbacks are that student portfolios may not be truly
representative of the range of a student's work and if not scrutinized as part of a greater whole, could
present a misleading picture of the student's intellectual attainment.
When it comes to using portfolios as true assessment tools instructors need to make sure that they:
define the types of assignments that can be used in the portfolio
determine a time line for the collection of these assignments (i.e., are these to be collected as students
go along, or chosen only at some end point?)
establish the criteria by which the student portfolios will be assessed
To ensure that any assessment tool is effective, the following steps should be followed:
Carefully analyze the course goals and objectives
Clarify the objectives, skills, and concepts that are to be taught
Specify indicators of student performance and expected outcomes
Develop the questions, topics, or tasks based on these indicators
Use the indicators to evaluate the student's performance, establishing a minimal expectation, middle,
and upper level expectation for performance
Feedback
One simple definition of feedback is that it is grading student work and giving the student the reason
behind the grade. But actually, feedback is a complex process that continues throughout a course.
Feedback can be in the form of comments and questions or it can be a letter grade, numerical points,
or several of these combined into a rubric grading matrix. Research conducted by UMUC's Institute for
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation (IRAHE) demonstrates that "frequent and sufficient feedback" is
a primary determinant of student satisfaction, but even more importantly from the standpoint of
student learning outcomes, it is also one of the main factors that can help students grow, improve, and
progress.Feedback needs to be adapted to what one is assessing in student work. You may want to
read the following short article, "The Art of Feedback " previously published here in the DE Oracle
that details some different types of techniques that are useful in a variety of teaching situations, and
Assessment, Feedback and Rubrics - DE Oracle
offers some tips for giving effective feedback.
Rubrics
Grading rubrics, also known as scoring or assessment rubrics, are a way to simplify the sometimes
wearying process of assessment and to ensure a certain level of objectivity and consistency. Using
rubrics provides benefits to both faculty and students. Every experienced instructor has a mental set of
guidelines and criteria, in effect, informal rubrics, that guide his or her assessment of student work. A
grading rubric scale can be developed to make this a more explicit process.
A rubric is basically a grid or matrix in which assessment criteria are identified, described in terms of
specific performance behavior expected and prioritized according to some sort of ascending or
descending grading scale. The simplest form of rubric we are all familiar with is probably the A-F
grading scale.
When a rubric is shared with students, it can also help clear up some of the questions students have as
they try to understand faculty expectations. Using a grading rubric does not mean that one abandons
the subtle discernment and analysis that allow one to balance and juggle different criteria--a grading
rubric is merely a tool to make the judging and weighing more efficient and to help ensure that no
aspect is neglected. The use of rubrics provides clear sets of guidelines to students as they plan and
actually work on their assignments and means that students generally see less to challenge faculty on
in terms of questioning their grades. Faculty often find that setting themselves the task of creating a
rubric also helps them write more clearly defined assignments. If assignments are well constructed and
unambiguous, students are more likely to be responsive to the assignment and there is less need for
feedback that ends up being the instructor's repeated explanation of the assignment. While faculty
need to invest the initial time to create a suitable rubric for each type of assignment, they save time
when it comes to the actual grading process. By reference to a rubric, students can immediately see
the areas where they excelled or fell short.
Naturally your first guide in formulating a framework for assessing student work should be the
assignments themselves. As you fully develop each assignment, you may also create a simple grading
rubric that can assist you in the assessment process and help to communicate your expectations to
your students as well.
Responsiveness to the stated requirements of the assignment must be one of the main measures of
grading any assignment. In addition to the specific requirements of each assignment, any rubric should
include some general expectations about quality student work such as coherent and logical writing, well
constructed sentences and paragraphs, and no more than a few minor errors in spelling, punctuation,
or grammar.
Faculty should not rely completely on rubrics to provide feedback. Along with a score drawn from the
rubric, faculty can add comments that offer additional feedback specific to the student's performance.
CTL offers workshops on the topics of feedback and creating rubrics several times each year. These
include "The Art of Feedback," Effective Writing Assignments," and "Creating Effective Rubrics." Watch
for our upcoming workshops at the CTL Workshops page (http://www.umuc.edu/facdev/workshops.html) .
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Effective Practices in Online Teaching_ How the Classroom Looks - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
Effective Practices in Online Teaching: How the Classroom Looks
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2004
Category: » Webtycho » Document-design
How the Classroom Looks || Online Classroom Management || Accessibility
Over several years of working with faculty members on their online classes, Instructional Support
Specialist from the Center of Support of Instruction have noticed some very effective practices on the
part of the faculty. Here are some that faculty members might want to consider when putting up their
online classrooms.
Clown pants: Using more colors does not necessarily help the message
In an attempt to draw attention and add variety to tracts of text, some users may try to use colors in
the classroom. There is nothing wrong with this if done judiciously. One problem that can arise is what
the Yale Style Manual (http://webstyleguide.com/wsg3/7-page-design/3-visual-design.html) , amongst others, have
described as the "clown pants" effect -- an overload of color leading to confusion rather than skillfully
highlighting information. Another concern is that there should be enough information so that readers
who suffer from some form of color blindness (http://webaim.org/articles/visual/colorblind) can still
meaningfully use the information. This means not only that, ideally, the highlighted information should
additionally be emphasized by some other means (such as bolding or italics), but that the text should
also have enough contrast with the background so the text doesn't disappear altogether for those with
visual impairments.
QUIT YELLING: All-caps look like shouting
In an attempt to get the message across, it is sometimes tempting to write text in all caps. While this is
certainly useful to grab someone's attention, there are two problems with this. The first is that all-caps
writing is often perceived to be shouting. While this may sometimes be the intent, it is generally
inappropriate in a classroom, whether online or face-to-face, and can be taken as a breach of online
etiquette (http://tychousa.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp/html/netiquette.html) . The other problem is that it is more
difficult to read extended lines in all uppercase letters, and after a while they lose their effectiveness.
See our previous feature article, Avoid Document Discomfort.
Effective Practices in Online Teaching: How the Classroom Looks - DE Oracle
document as displayed in Netscape document as displayed in Internet
Studying in Times Square: Flashing messages are distracting
In another attempt to attract attention to an important item (such as an assignment deadline), it might
seem prudent to have text flash or blink. Back in 1996, web usability guru Jakob Nielsen made the
compelling point in his article on web design mistakes (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605a.html) that "[a]
web page should not emulate Times Square in New York City in its constant attack on the human
senses: give your user some peace and quiet to actually read the text!" It holds as true today as it did
then.
The temptation to skim: Reading online is different than on paper
Jakob Nielsen's research (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html) has found that readers read differently
online than they do on paper, and makes suggestions on how to write for the web
(http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/) . In 1997, he found that only 16% of readers read entire pages
word-for-word, and that the majority of users skim pages. He suggests being succinct, avoiding long
blocks of text, and using hyperlinks. His work since has only further vindicated his original
recommendations. It is not a question of content, it's related to the medium. This doesn't mean that all
learning materials must be brief bullet points. Much of the material presented in the online classroom
may indeed be intended to be printed out. However, these recommendations definitely hold true for
class announcements and conference postings. See our previous feature article, Avoid Document
Discomfort.
It looked fine in...: MS-Word generated HTML causes problems
Faculty are encouraged to use HTML to spruce up the presentation of their classrooms. However, using
Microsoft Word to generate the material and exporting it as HTML can create some unexpected
problems. Word documents themselves are not a web-ready format , but even using its export-to-
HTML feature, extra code is included. The code is intended to help the documents work with other
Microsoft products, but poses problems for WebTycho. Whenever using HTML code generated by Word,
it is advisable to test the page in at least the two major browsers (Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator) to avoid the problems show below:
Effective Practices in Online Teaching: How the Classroom Looks - DE Oracle
7.1 Explorer 6
All these questions: Be aware of stray "?"s when copy-pasting from a word
processor
For various reasons, many faculty members prefer to compose their material in a word processor and
then paste it into WebTycho rather than composing directly "online". There is nothing wrong with this
practice. However, WebTycho users should be aware that word processors will often create "curly
quotation marks" (also called "smart quotation marks"), which, when pasted into WebTycho, turn into
unsightly questions marks. While the question marks can be manually removed from the pasted text,
an easier approach is to turn off the curly quotation marks in the word processor, or convert the text so
as to remove it. For detailed instructions on how to turn off the curly quotations marks
(http://tychousa.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp/html/smartquotes2.html) , see WebTycho's Help and Support site
(http://tychousa.umuc.edu/wtdocs/wthelp/) .
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Effective Practices in Online Teaching: How the Classroom Looks - DE Oracle
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University of Maryland University College Graduate Schedule of Classes 2004 1-Spring
No full textUniversity of Maryland University College Spring 2004 Graduate Schedule of Classes. Celebrating 25 years of excellence in Graduate Education. www.umuc.edu/grad
An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics - DE Oracle.
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics
Stella Porto
Program Director
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2004
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
As UMUC faculty move to detailed definition and assessment of student learning outcomes, the use of
grading rubrics and other holistic assessment tools is taking on increasing prominence. An enthusiastic
advocate is UMUC Graduate School's Stella Porto.
Prof. Porto has been researching, using, and spreading the word about the value of rubrics since the
summer of 2002. That year, she was invited to give a 1-day course on assessment in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
at an international conference held by the Brazilian Distance Education Association. Preparing for that
event, she found that much of the work by T.A. Angelo and K.P. Cross inspired her, and she adapted
many of their assessment practices to the online environment. Her active use of rubrics was a
by-product of her research and has become a progressively indispensable element of her
teaching. During these 2 years of implementing and improving her rubrics, Prof. Porto has been
gratified by overwhelmingly positive student response to her assessment specifications and her
comprehensive feedback on assignments, as well as by a reduction in student questions about
assignment expectations and grading.
The UMUC community has benefitted from Dr. Porto's insights on the subject of rubrics in two public
forums in 2004. She has graciously allowed the DE Oracle to present here her materials, which help to
introduce and define grading rubrics and their value to UMUC online instructors:
The Power of Rubrics: Video/PPT files (#feb) of her presentation at the February 2004 Graduate
School Faculty Meeting (with transcripts)
Sample paper and participation rubrics (#rubric) used (and regularly revised!) by Dr. Porto
February 2004 Seminar, "The Power of Rubrics"
Videos of Dr. Porto's presentation, with transcripts
Links to multimedia* views of presentation
segments
(video with PowerPoints)
Links to Transcripts
Part 1 : Introduction: Defining Holistic
Assessment (10:20 mins.)
Transcript - Part 1
Part 2 : Defining Rubrics & their Benefits
(11:54 mins.)
Transcript - Part 2
Part 3 : Process of Developing and Using
Rubrics (7:48 mins.)
Transcript - Part 3
Part 4: Two Examples by Dr. Porto, plus
References (6:10 mins.)
Transcript - Part 4
An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics - DE Oracle
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*Please note that the media files are formatted for RealPlayer. You may need to download and install
the latest version of basic RealOne Player from Real Networks if you have difficulty viewing/ hearing
the video. (Look for the Free RealOne Player, not the Free Trial.)
Dr. Porto's Paper & Participation Rubrics
An instructor is likely to continually refine his/her rubrics in response to student feedback and/or the
instructor's own experience using them. Also, the instructor may wish to provide, along with a rubric,
additional instructions about performance expectations, customized to students in a given class in a
given semester. Here are examples of Dr. Porto's paper and participation rubrics, including examples of
a revised rubric and of additional instructions.
Sample Paper Rubric
An updated Grading Rubric for Term Papers/Essays
Sample Participation Rubric
Sample Expectations Document for Online Student Participation
About the Author(s)
Stella Porto is an instructor in the Master of Information Technology program and Program Director in
the Master of Distance Education program; she has worked at at UMUC since January 2001. She is
originally from Rio de Janeiro (http://www.riodejaneiro-turismo.com.br/en/home.php) , Brazil, where she lived
until September 2000. Starting her eduction in the field of electrical engineering, Stella obtained her
Master's and PhD degrees in Computer Science (CS at PUC-Rio (http://www.inf.puc-rio.br/) ) from the
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) in 1991 and 1995, respectively. Her research
work focused in the fields of parallel processing and heuristic methods for combinatorial optimization
problems. In teaching, her experience ranges from algorithm design, parallel programming, computer
architectures, parallel and distributed computing and parallel algorithms in the Computer Sciences field
to learning objects, multimedia and course development models in the Distance Education field.
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An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics - DE Oracle
DE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript
Stella Porto
Program Director
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2004
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
Main Article:
An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics
Presentation by Dr. Stella C.S. Porto
Part I, Introduction: Defining Holistic Assessment
Transcript of Video, with PPT images
Graduate School Faculty Meeting
February 28, 2004
Throughout the reading and research I've done on the topic of assessment and grading rubrics, I’ve put
together some motivating thoughts, all related to how we understand assessment and what is our
philosophical mission when we do assessments with our students. I’m going to set out these
thoughts... just so we can reflect on them a little bit. This is one of the motivating thoughts:
What I’m going to say here, I know you all go through it. Even if you use the “As” and “Bs” or [if] you
use the numbers (I usually use the numbers just because I’ve a technical background — you have to
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
provide numbers.)... But, you know, you go through this thing, “Oh, this person is 85, and this other
one is 87,” you know, all this little nit-picking. I hate doing that, because I have to go through that
feeling every time. It’s painful to do grading in the end, because you’re trying to find what’s wrong, you
know, what went wrong — to take away micrometer points.
This is not actually something you’re told to do directly, but are because of the standards that you’re
shown from the institution that you work with. But at least if you [have to] follow those standards, you
still can have another philosophical understanding of the process.
The other [motivating thought] is
All these thoughts are very much related to one another. But we always should remember that when
we are teaching, we’re teaching for the learning — right? — and the testing is just the way that we can
use to assess.
All right. So, first here is the definition of performance-based assessment.
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
Actually, it's something very easy to understand.
1. It's assessment that you do to a product.
You’re going to evaluate students in a real world context. (This relates a lot to the kind of students that
we have here at UMUC.)
2.
3. And you want to measure how can students apply the skills that they have learned.
This is performance-based assessment.
We will see that in performance-based assessment, you can either — and that will appear when we
discuss rubrics — you can either do the assessment through the full product in a holistic sense, or you
can try to take this product, do an analytical division of this product into multiple tasks, and have
standards for each of these tasks. Any of these ways is good. And depending on what the final product
is, one or another will be suitable, but both of them are good ways to start building rubrics.
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
This table actually tries to make a comparison of how traditionally we understand grading, and how
that differentiates from the concept of assessment.
First of all, grading, which is the scoring, is summative in the sense that you provide something at the
end and there’s no in-between. An assessment is formative in the sense that throughout the process,
you are providing something that the student can use and change during their learning and produce
new products in a better way. So, there’s the feedback piece, which is important. This is a list, really, of
a traditional way of seeing how you can deal with assessment in your class in a more holistic sense that
relates to that first initial thought of teaching to the learning and not teaching to do tests. So, what we
want is to have formative assessment. You’re doing assessment all the way through; you’re providing
feedback all the way through.
You want something that can build diagnoses. So, you create activities and assessment tools
throughout your course such that through them you can see where the students stand and what are
their difficulties, and not only provide a grade in the end. [You want to] be able to identify, for
example, that the problem this student has is in writing; it’s not really the content, but it’s writing. So,
if you build your tools correctly, you’re able to make this diagnosis.
We're not judging the student. It has to be private.
It's possible (we don’t have the means to do that very well here at UMUC), depending on the
technology, that you can do certain things anonymously. If you’re not using [an assessment] for
grading, you don’t really need to know who the person is. You can have anonymous assessments, just
so you know where the student is and the student doesn’t feel so exposed in terms of his performance
if certain assessment is done anonymously. Sometimes he’s more free to say things and to express
himself.
In assessing, we have to be specific, so instead of talking about the student as a whole, you can
pinpoint certain aspects that the student could improve.
Your feedback has to be suggestive in the sense of giving him or her the means to change throughout
the course. So, that relates very well to the formative aspect.
And it has to be oriented towards your objectives. All of this has to have clear, from the beginning,
what is the expectation and what are the goals. So, you can say, well, it's not about the content, but
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
it's about the expectation that I have in terms of competencies and performance in the beginning of the
course.
Every time I talk about grading from this point on, it's not the right side of the table, but the left side of
that table: the grading in a holistic sense, in the sense that I am considering all of that assessment
entails.
Slide introducing 'grading in a holistic sense (1)', discussed further
Grading in this holistic sense includes having to tailor tests and assignments — any kind of assessment
tool you’re using — to the learning goal of the course. So, you make them very explicit and in a way
that the students understand very clearly what they are.
Establish criteria and standards, so we're teaching for the goals. We're helping students acquire the
skills and knowledge they need. So, the goals have to be very well related to the needs of the students
so they’re motivated.
Assess in a formative way; assess students over time, several times, and provide feedback so they can
use that during that period of time in the course.
Slide introducing 'grading in a holistic sense (2)', discussed further
When we define expectations and the activities that we will use to measure this performance, we also
should be addressing student’s motivation. So, you can have boring assessment activities and you can
have interesting activities in which the students are engaged. And they’re also learning through the
activity, not only showing what they know.
Give feedback that results not only in terms of what they did wrong, but also what they are doing right.
This is really common when you’re providing grades is to come back to the student, say well, you
know, I gave you this grade because this is wrong, this is wrong, and this is wrong. And sometimes we
don’t highlight what that student did really well and he or she should continue on doing not only in that
course, but sometimes in other courses is in the future. So, also have the feedback about both sides,
successes and mistakes.
One thing that is important is to have the topic of assessment as something that you do discuss with
students. And actually, this is one point that I have started to do just recently. The first time I used
rubrics, I had the rubrics to myself only to help me do the grading and provide useful feedback. And
then I recently started showing the rubric and allowing students even to make comments about the
rubric or ask questions, so it’s really clear to them what is expected, what does that term that I put in
there in the rubric really mean.
And using all of these results that of the — I mean I think that rubrics or any kind of assessment is
something that evolves in time, so the experience of students in one term will probably make you
change and evolve your assessment tool, rubric standards, in the future.
Go to transcripts of sections
Using Rubrics, Part I - Introduction: Defining Holistic Assessment
Using Rubrics, Part II - Defining Rubrics and their Benefits
Using Rubrics, Part III - The Processes of Developing and Using Rubrics
Using Rubrics, Part IV - Two Examples (Porto), and References
Go to Videos of sections
Part 1 : Introduction: Defining Holistic Assessment (10:20 mins.)
The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
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Part 2 : Defining Rubrics & their Benefits (11:54 mins.)
Part 3 : Process of Developing and Using Rubrics (7:48 mins.)
Part 4: Two Examples by Dr. Porto, plus References (6:10 mins.)
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The Power of Rubics - Part 1 Transcript - DE Oracle
DE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
The Power of Rubics - Part 2 Transcript
Stella Porto
Program Director
Graduate School of Management and Technology
Published: 0 2004
Category: » Online-pedagogy » Assessment-feedback-rubrics
Main Article:
An Introduction to the Power of Rubrics
Presentation by Dr. Stella C.S. Porto
Part II, Defining Rubrics and their Benefits
Transcript of Video, with PPT images
Graduate School Faculty Meeting
February 28, 2004
Here is a definition of rubrics. I collected a bunch of them and I put together the main threads that I
found in all of those definitions.
First of all, rubrics are performance-based assessments that evaluate student performance. So, that
relates to that first definition that we went through in which we have a product and that product is a
result of applying skills that are learned in the course.
The Power of Rubics - Part 2 Transcript - DE Oracle
So, rubrics are used for a given task, it's not about the students, but about that task. In these tasks —
in the end of these tasks — you have a final product that you are looking at, and before that, you have
the expectations for that product outlined very clearly.
For rubrics you use specific criteria as a basis for evaluating students' performance.
Many instructors do not have formally written rubrics, but I am certain they all have their rubrics in
their heads. I mean when we sit down to evaluate any kind of assignment, we have an expectation
built inside us. It’s true, also, that sometimes we have expectations and when we look at the set of
assignments from our students, those expectations kind of slightly move from looking at them in a
comparative way. But at least, a minimum of items that we want students to perform, we have those in
our minds, even if they’re not written down.
In any rubric, what we do is describe several levels of proficiency.
What we have in the end is a table in which we will describe several levels of competency, from the
poor to the excellent. The way you want to do it doesn’t matter, but in the end you have a couple of
levels, not too many, but a couple of levels that describe different levels of quality for the student’s
product.
We will see in the step-by-step description that, actually, the first step in writing a rubric is this: Given
a certain product, I will define what are these levels of proficiency. And then the second step will be
actually assigning the values... That's the moment where the grading comes in; that is, I will assign a
score for each of these values.
Then the way I will assign these values can be either
looking at the full product, or
doing it in an analytical way in which I will cut the product into several different aspects and give scores
for each of these aspects and for the levels of proficiency for each of these aspects
The Power of Rubics - Part 2 Transcript - DE Oracle
I have examples here [of a holistic and an analytical rubric — not my own]. You will see later than in
my own rubrics, I usually use the analytical way of doing it, just because it’s easier to concentrate on
one aspect ("Well, I'm just weighting here the APA style" or "I'm weighting here just if it’s technically
sound."). That is easier for me, but any of those two ways is valid.
This is an example of holistic scoring guide — the topic here is mathematical equations. Here, we don’t
have a table with rows describing pieces of the product, but each of the levels describes a level of
proficiency for the whole product. So, I would say that, usually, if the assignment is very focused (it’s
not [complex] like a term paper, but it is something that is very focused), then, the holistic way of
doing the rubric will work very well.
When you start having multiple things that you’re looking at in the same product, usually the analytical
way will work best. And here is an example of an analytical rubric.
The Power of Rubics - Part 2 Transcript - DE Oracle
Here, instead of looking at the full product, I have several pieces that are part of — or aspects of —
the same problem that I’m looking at. In the column [headings], I have the scoring. And in each of the
little boxes, I have the description of how that aspect is defined for that level. So, it’s a little bit more
wordy, but sometimes it’s easier when you’re doing the grading, depending on the assignment, to do it
in this way.
(These are not mine... I’ll show you mine in the end. I just wanted to show here more of the format
and how you divide the product into different aspects.)
Next is a list of some benefits of having that set of criteria and standards.
I think there's a benefit of not only having your criteria and standards in your head but also of having them
formally written down. The aspect of writing them down — and this is why I think the rubric makes a
difference — when you write them down, sometimes you will confront yourself, "Well, this is not really it,"
you know, when you put it on paper. So, it is a great benefit to actually reflect on the process of grading.
The Power of Rubics - Part 2 Transcript - DE Oracle
Defining grading rubrics saves time.
Well, the saving time.... At the end of talking about this, some people think, “Oh, this is a lot of work!
You have to sit down and write this whole table, you write the descriptions...” Yes, there is some work
right in the beginning, but then after you start using it, you’re saving time because the grading process
becomes more homogeneous.
You don’t have to go back so much to other assignments. Let's say you had already graded an
assignment. Then you have to go back and say, "Oh, but I think I graded that person differently," you
know, you have to go back. If you're like me, since I hate grading, I don’t do it like in one day because
I can’t stand it. I do a little piece, and then I do another little piece, and then I do another little piece. I
like having something that keeps me on track in terms of grading when, you know, that day I didn’t
sleep well or I'm tired, which changes the way I grade because our emotional settings change the way
we grade, things that we accept and things that we don’t accept. So, the rubric helps a lot in keeping
that standard and in that sense saves a lot of time.
It allows me to make that process consistent and fair.
I don’t know if you feel the same way, but I hate to be unfair. If I have to be unfair, I prefer to give
extra points instead of taking away points. Rubrics help a lot in that sense.
It helps me explain to the students what I expect, if I show students the rubric first.
It also will help you when you have complaints [to deal with contested grades]. You will know exactly
why, in which aspect, that student’s grade was such and such.
And if you want to directly use the table of rubrics to give back to the students, you can use rubrics not
only to build your feedback, but you can also provide the whole table and
A Brief Overview of Award-Winning Article on GSMT Course Development - DE Oracle
No full textDE Oracle @ UMUC
An Online Learning Magazine for UMUC Faculty
Center for Support of Instruction
A Brief Overview of Award-Winning Article on GSMT Course
Development
CSI Staff
Staff Writer
Center for Support of Instruction
Published: 0 2004
Category: » University-showcase » Papers-studies
In spring 2004, Stella Porto, program director in the Graduate School of
Management of Technology's (GSMT) Master of Distance Education program
and John Aje, GSMT Associate Dean were awarded the Best Paper Award
from the Distance Learning Administration (DLA) for their paper, "A
Framework for Operational Decision-Making in Course Development
and Delivery (http://www.westga.edu/%7Edistance/ojdla/summer72/porto72.html) ".
In this paper, Drs. Porto and Aje look at several dimensions of the online
course development and delivery process, namely: models and processes,
technology, intellectual property, cost, and faculty support. They use these
factors and and analyze the course and curriculum development at GSMT as
a case study.
In so doing, they propose a set of criteria that should be applied when
during the development and delivery of online courses. In their words, "the
purpose of the criteria is to provide a framework that guides the selection of
courses for online development, as well as selection of the process, models
and resources, which should be devoted to their development".
In building out the criteria, they identify two sets of intertwined, non-linear steps:
1. "the administrative decisions such as what should be developed and when", and
2. the pedagogical criteria such as "how best to develop the course".
They emphasize the importance of being able to adapt quickly to the "changing needs and demands of
students", particularly for resource allocation and multimedia production (including outsourcing
considerations), the need for a repository of learning objects, the centrality of faculty support in the
process, the attention to quality, and the need for external assessment to reinforce this.
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Graduate - Schedule of Classes - 2004 2-Summer
No full textUniversity of Maryland University College Summer 2004 Graduate Schedule of Classes -- Celebrating 25 years of excellence in graduate education www.umuc.edu/gra
