1. Assessing Writing and
Speaking with Rubrics
Dr. Deborah Healey
AEI/Linguistics, University of Oregon
dhealey@uoregon.edu
http://pages.uoregon.edu/dhealey
2. How do you respond to
writing?
Share your ideas
4. How do you assess writing?
Grammar – Spelling – Mechanics
Content – Organization
Other??
Where will you start? What will you
focus on?
5. Writing prompt:
Why are you learning English?
I am and work in museum. So, if my English
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation
could be enhance, I think that I could get
some advantage like the following. My job
could be more interesting when I meet
somebody from other countries. Now, the
English guide take charge of these groups.
When it happen that I had to guide English
groups in the museum, i had research my
words everytime and the conversation wasn't
nice for me. If I want to change job, I think
that the English will be part of application.
6. The keys to assessment are …
… goals and objectives
7. Goals vs. Objectives
Goals: Overall for the lesson
Objectives: behavior
(specific! observable!)
Ask:
What do successful learners do?
What will I see if learners are
successful?
8. Good goals
Clear and understandable
General and non-specific
Long-range
Concise descriptions of expected
results of entire course of instruction
Directly related to objectives
Difficult to measure
Check … goals
11. Checklists
HAVE I….
___ organized my text and put information in the right section?
___ eliminated any plural adjectives?
___ put the adjectives in FRONT of nouns (and AFTER “to be”)?
___ provided examples when I have to support an idea or point?
___ used the correct preposition with the verb (if I need one)?
___ used the correct verb tense?
___ written down any questions I need to ask my teacher?
___ recorded any new vocabulary I needed (so I can use it
again in the future)?
If the answer is NO…
CHECK AGAIN!!
(adapted from Patricia Dawn Severenuk)
13. Rubrics
Matrix format:
Weak Average Very Good
(1 point) (2 points) (3 points)
Characteristic 1 or <describe what <describe what <describe what
Task element 1 makes this makes this makes this
“weak”> “average”> “very good”>
Characteristic 2 or <describe what <describe what <describe what
Task element 2 makes this makes this makes this
“weak”> “average”> “very good”>
Characteristic 3 or <describe what <describe what <describe what
Task element 3 makes this makes this makes this
“weak”> “average”> “very good”>
18. Six steps
1. Start with the performance objective
2. Identify the characteristics/tasks
3. Identify the potential levels of quality
4. Assign points to each level, and total
points
5. Identify the criteria for each level of
quality within a characteristic or task
6. Create the rubric table – put the
dimensions as rows and the levels as
columns.
http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/eta/Rubric_Tutorial/default.h
tm
19. Step 1: Performance Objectives
Think about behavior
(specific! observable!)
Ask:
What does success look like?
Students will write an informative
paragraph with clear organization,
descriptive language, and at least two
appropriate examples.
20. Writing prompt:
Why are you learning English?
I am and work in museum. So, if my English
vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation could
be enhance, I think that I could get some
advantage like the following. My job could be
more interesting when I meet somebody from
other countries. Now, the English guide take
charge of these groups. When it happen that I
had to guide English groups in the museum, i
had research my words everytime and the
conversation wasn't nice for me. If I want to
change job, I think that the English will be part
of application.
21. Step 2: The characteristics/tasks
What are you looking for?
Spelling/capitalization/punctuation
(mechanics)
Grammar - Organization
Content
Interest
?? Be specific!
22. Step 3: Identify the levels of quality
More levels = more work.
Weak Average Very Good
(1 point) (2 points) (3 points)
Characteristic <describe what <describe what <describe what
1 or Task makes this makes this makes this
element 1 “weak”> “average”> “very good”>
Characteristic
2 or Task
element 2
Characteristic
3 or Task
element 3
23. Step 4: Assign point values
For each level
For each characteristic
24. Step 5: Identify the criteria
This is the hard part.
What makes something excellent?
Details!
What would a weak response be?
Details!
This will help you fill in the middle of
the matrix.
“Will my students understand what I
want?”
25. Step 6: Create the rubric table
Weak (1 point) Average (2 Very Good (3
points) points)
Content No examples that At least one At least two
(interesting explain why you example that examples that
ideas, want to learn explains why you explain why you
examples) English. want to learn want to learn
English. English.
Grammar Several mistakes 1 or 2 small No mistakes in what
that make it hard to mistakes, but the we have studied so
understand your reader can far (simple present
meaning. understand your and simple past).
meaning.
Mechanics Several mistakes 1 or 2 small No mistakes in what
that make it hard to mistakes, but the we have studied so
understand your reader can far (capitalization,
meaning. understand your punctuation,
meaning common spelling
words).
26. Online help with rubrics
Rubrican – sample rubrics for writing
http://www.rubrician.com/writing
Rubistar – create rubrics with help
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
30. Speaking characteristics
Rubrics work for speaking
assignments, too
Pitch – Pauses - Volume
Eye contact
Enthusiasm – Timing
Preparedness
Content – Organization
Listens to others
31. Select options
Pull-down menus
Sample text in each category
(excellent, fair, poor)
You can change anything
Persuasive Essay Rubric
Sample with modifications
32. Create a rubric
Work with a partner, if possible
Create a rubric for a writing (or other)
assignment
Make sure you start with the learning
objectives!
33. Quick poll
What do you think about using rubrics?
I’m ready!
I need a bit more practice.
I don’t think I’ll use rubrics.
What are rubrics?
Look at the next slide.Talk with the person next to you.
Where will you start? What will you focus on? Talk with your group..
This is the heart of assessment. Now let’s look at two approaches to helping students know what to do and self-evaluation BEFORE they turn in their work or stand up and speak in class.
Have you used rubrics? What are some benefits of rubrics? Respond in the chat and in the room.
Can you think of more?
Can you think of more? Those are the pluses – what are the minuses?
The contract is both good and bad. Even if you forgot something important, you can’t add it. If your rubric is good, students’ work is better.Any poorly-designed assessment is not helpful.Let’s look at how to create a rubric. We’ll also look at Rubistar.
Let’s do it!
What was the task? How would you write an ABCD performance objective – Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree
Make a list of what you are looking for. Try to think of examples, too.Make sure you focus on enough but not too many. Try to keep the rubric to one or two pages at most.
3 x 3 gives you 9 boxes to fill in. More levels and more characteristics = more work to do. It’s also more helpful for students this way…Four levels: very weak, almost satisfactory, satisfactory, excellent (12 cells with 3 characteristics)Five levels: very weak, weak, average, very good, excellent (15 cells with 3 characteristics – and you often have more than 3. That’s a lot of writing).
Don’t let the math stop you – start with what you want, then figure out the math later
Start with what makes something excellent. How would a student get the maximum number of points for each characteristic/task? Be as complete as possible in thinking about this.Now, look at the weakest. What would a very weak characteristic/task look like?Finally, look at the middle areas. What is missing in each characteristic/task? Describe each of the levels carefully and clearly, so that students can understand what you wantTry to create at least criteria for 3 characteristics and 3 levels.You try it now…
Rubistar
Or choose your own…
What other characteristics can you think of?
Add it to the Discussion Board (or the Rubistar link)Think about your lesson plan
