Week Six--Variations on the Theme

I. The reading for this week in GMIT 660 was Chapter Seven (Variations on the Theme) from our text Introduction to Rubrics--highlights from the chapter:

• In some disciplines, such as the fine arts and sciences, rubrics related to regular, hands-on, lab or studio activities may require some flexibility in how scales, dimensions, and descriptions of dimensions are conceived or arranged.
• "Staged" rubrics, as one might guess from the name, are used for assignments in which process is at least as important as the final product.
• Staged rubrics are used and reused at different times to assess different stages of a student's work, thus allwoing us to monitor the student's work as it progresses.
• Staged rubrics are usually used for large projects that might take a whole term or certainly several weeks to complete.
• "Multiple" rubrics are more common to program assessment than to grading, but we do occasionally use them for grading complex, multifaceted assignments like an end-of-term portfolio or a full ad campaign designed over the course of a semester.

II. Fellow cohort, Kathy Zabel, led the seminar for GMIT 660 this week--two of her proposed questions:

Question #1

A variation in theme using rubrics would be to assess something that is very difficult to assess and that is ICP. In my line of work that stands for intracranial pressure. In this text, it stands for in-class participation.
Many instructors like to give points or credit for in-class participation. How do you supposed that is graded? Do the instructors who use ICP for part of the grade use a rubric to come up with the points for their students? Figure 7.3 (p. 99) in Introduction to Rubrics has an example of a rubric used to evaluate ICP. Take a look at the descriptions of the dimensions used to assess ICP in the rubric. Do they make sense? What other dimensions would you add or is it even necessary to use a rubric for assessing something such as in-class participation?

Lots of great discussion on this question--many different thoughts and ideas on in-class participation. Some felt that there is room for ICP in rubrics--some felt ICP should be simplified--either you participated or you didn't. Grading should be mostly for assignments or quizzes, according to some--according to others, ICP was a sizable part of the students' grades.

Question #2

Multiple Rubric- These rubrics can be used for program assessment and consist of several rubrics. In fact, each dimension has its own rubric.
The appendix at the back of your text has examples of 5 rubrics beginning on p. 121 used to assess learning goals in the University Studies Program at Portland State University. Look at them and take a moment to be overwhelmed. Now here is your question. You are on the assessment team at your college. Each program (Radiography, IT, Early Childhood Education, Medical Assisting, Media, Continuing Education, Fire Science, etc.) must assess themselves on a yearly basis. You would like the team to consider the use of rubrics for the individual programs. Each program would have the same basic format of rubric with some modifications for program differences. Let’s hear your explanation to the assessment team of why your college programs should use rubrics for assessing their programs. Describe some of the dimensions that might be included in the program rubric.

Wow! Great discussion here on using rubrics in individual programs! Lots of great examples from the different programs represented! We have learned a great deal about rubrics in this coursework--we are truly going to another level in this program!

Kathy did a wonderful job leading this seminar! She provided a great deal of material for all of us and did a masterful job of keeping things going during the week! Great job, Kathy!

III. In response to the "reflections" of the seminar:

• Kathy engaged us all by good resources and questions she provided! I think she has set the bar really high for us!
• The discussions in the seminar were very lively and good learning and sharing took place.
• I feel the need to keep my textbooks and refer back to them often to review what we have learned as I go on in my teaching career!
• I felt that I participated at a graduate level again this week--we are nearing the end and are feeling the pressure to perform, but we keep answering the bell!
• Again, the seminar experience this term will be invaluable to us as we go on in our careers--we will think back to these for a long time to come!