Episode Six: Comments and reflections

[Daniel Pier]

Hello colleagues,

Creating and implementing assessments that measure, among other things, students' critical thinking abilities can be challenging. It is relatively efficient to measure knowledge banked with multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank quizzes and tests, but assessing and providing feedback on essays, projects, portfolios, etc., while offering a much richer understanding of a student's learning and progress, can be time consuming. How do you balance the two? Have you used rubrics before? If so, do you have tips for first-time users of rubrics? If not, will you now use one in class, and what questions do you have?

I hope you enjoyed this episode.

Cheers,

Dan

[Imogene Howard]

I have used a rubric before but was a long time ago. what I am a bit unsure of is how to assess portfolios, use the results from rubric and checklist to help in giving scores to students.

I know how a portfolio operates but my understanding is that it just measures competency, improvements and skills. In my school we use continuous assessment where quizzes, homework assignments, group work, peer work, weekly assessments and participation in class is considered in combing scores for Mid Term Mark Reading and also End of term Marks.

Feedback on the different assessment methods is very time consuming and as such teachers have to continue their work at home, late at nights even weekends to ensure that the students work is looked at and feedback can be provided.

I intend to use the rubric, because I used the checklist and it was very informative. My questions on the rubric are:

(i) How do I put a score (if I can) for the different areas?

(ii) what is the most amount of areas can be tested in any one rubric?