Introduction to Rubrics: An Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback and Promote Student Learning [Paperback]

Dannelle D. Stevens (Author), Antonia J. Levi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2004 | ISBN-10: 1579221157 | ISBN-13: 978-1579221157 | Edition: 1

You need rubrics if:
* You find yourself repeating the same comments on most student papers
* You worry that you’re grading the latest papers differently from the first
* You’re concerned about communicating the complexity of a semester-long assignment
* You question the consistency of your and your colleagues’ grading scales
* Grading is taking up far too much of your valuable time

Research shows that rubrics save professors time while conveying meaningful and timely feedback for students, and promoting self-regulated and independent learning. The reason rubrics are little used in higher education is that few faculty members have been exposed to their use.

At its most basic a rubric is a scoring tool that divides an assignment into its component parts and objectives, and provides a detailed description of what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable levels of performance for each part.

Rubrics can be used to grade any assignment or task: research papers, book reviews, participation in discussions, laboratory work, portfolios, oral presentations, group work, and more.

This book defines what rubrics are, and how to construct and use them. It provides a complete introduction for anyone starting out to integrate rubrics in their teaching.

The authors go on to describe a variety of processes to construct rubrics, including some which involve student participation.They demonstrate how interactive rubrics--a process involving assessors and the assessed in defining the criteria for an assignment or objective--can be effective, not only in involving students more actively in their learning, but in establishing consistent standards of assessment at the program, department and campus level.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This wonderfully compact introduction to rubrics will serve higher education teachers well regardless of discipline or level of instruction. Stevens and Levi take the reader through the process of constructing rubrics, varied forms of rubrics, and a multitude of ways to use rubrics. I especially applaud the student-centered approaches to rubric development. When departments or groups of faculty use rubrics as described in this book, they will indeed achieve the ‘academic currency’ sought today in higher education." -- Amy Driscoll, director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at California State University, Monterey Bay. "A total gap has long existed in higher education for a user's reference that aids in the important task of design and use of rubrics. Stevens and Levi are the first to step forward to fill this gap, which in itself would make the book a success. Its strengths are in the detail and extensive examples. As the title states, this is a book that emphasizes the tool and methods of use. It serves as a valuable resource for the new user in a content discipline and belongs in every faculty developer's library." -- Edward Nuhfer, Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Idaho State University "I was thrilled to come across this book, as there are so few texts out there that address the use of rubrics in the college classroom. Stevens and Levi have done a laudable job of conveying the rationale for using such a grading tool in higher education, and have provided, generously, many outstanding examples. What I find most compelling is that it is so much more than an introduction: Stevens and Levi provide an effective blueprint for the creation of one's own customized rubrics. This a much-needed new resource." -- Adrielle A. Mitchell, Department of English, Nazareth College. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Dannelle D. Stevens is a tenured professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Portland State University in Oregon where she has been since 1994. Her roots, however, are in the public school classroom where she taught middle school and high school social studies, language arts, and special education for 14 years across four school districts and three states. She received her master's from the University of Utah in 1983, and a doctorate in educational psychology from Michigan State in 1991. Before coming to PSU she taught at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Whether the topic is rubrics, journal writing, action research or academic writing, her work centers on how adults reflect on what they do and, then, act on those reflections. One of Dr. Stevens' underlying assumptions is that cognitive, social and emotional development does not end with the teenage years but continues through the lifetime. Besides over 75 conference presentations, she has written three books, all designed to impact development of her fellow faculty and, their students. Her first book, co-edited with Joanne Cooper, Tenure in the Sacred Grove: Issues and Strategies for Women and Minorities, (SUNY Press, 2002), was written to help faculty women and minorities negotiate the path to tenure. Introduction to Rubrics, now in its second edition, and co-authored with Antonia J. Levi, and Journal Keeping, co-authored with Joanne Cooper, are published by Stylus Publishing. In addition to teaching classes, she has taken on leadership positions in the department and campus-wide. In the Curriculum and Instruction Department, Dr. Stevens leads teacher licensure cohorts and coordinates the MA/MS program for experienced teachers. For the university at large, she works within the Center for Academic Excellence as faculty-in-residence for assessment. She is chair of the Institutional Assessment Council.

Antonia J. Levi is a professor of modern Japanese history who taught for many years in the University Studies Program at Portland State University. She is now retired, continuing to write about rubrics, Japanese animation, and the globalization of popular culture, and reinventing herself as a novelist in Vancouver, BC. She has served as an apprentice and mentor in Simon Fraser University’s Writer’s Studio and the Southbank Writer’s Program where she is exploring the possibilities for rubrics in enhancing work shopping experiences, evaluating and improving public performances, and developing other creative skills.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Stylus Publishing; 1 edition (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579221157
• ISBN-13: 978-1579221157
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dannelle D. Stevens was born in California to "immigrant" Scotch, English and German heritage parents from the midwest. Graduating from U.C., Berkeley in 1965 enlightened her perspective on life. As a daughter of an elementary school teacher and granddaughter of a high school math teacher, she found herself with a lifelong career in education. Today she teaches at Portland State University in Oregon. Her work and writing center around sharing strategies and insights that can assist faculty in negotiating their complex academic lives.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspired to Create Rubrics! July 26, 2007

By Dorlisa Minnick

Format:Paperback

I am a junior-faculty member and have tried my hand at creating rubrics in an effort to be fair and consistent in grading. However, I struggled with breaking down each area so I felt my rubrics were weak. Thus, I was looking for a "how-to" book and this book did not disappoint! It was well worth every penny! The book was written by two college faculty members who are seasoned in developing rubrics for college courses (individually, departmentally, and university-wide). I read the book in a day and then began working through the 4-stage process. It took the better part of a full day to create my first rubric, working through the steps methodically and thoughtfully, but I trust the authors that when it comes to grading, I will more than save the time, and most importantly, students will have a clear picture of where their grade comes from. Also, I am confident that the time required in producing rubrics for other assignments will decrease as I gain more experience.
In addition to the 4-stage process, the authors discuss a continuum of 5 models to rubric construction ranging from the instructor creating the rubric with no input from students to a rubric that is created completely by the students (of course, as the faculty member, one always has the opportunity to make adjustments). The point being that there is more than one way to construct a rubric depending on instructor's style and developmental level of the class. The book has a chapter on constructing rubrics with others, such as TA's, colleagues and tutorial staff. Even though my university does not use TA's and I am new faculty member, I liked the idea behind involving colleagues, and especially, tutorial support, like a writing center. Another chapter was designated to show how rubrics could be used in different disciplines. For example, rubrics for laboratory work in the sciences or a portfolio review in art were demonstrated along with rubric examples for assessing classroom participation and assignments that may be submitted in stages, such as a research paper.
I have only two slight criticisms: 1) the book only spends a page and half talking about assigning a grade after completing the rubric. The book used primarily one example throughout the book (although showing how to modify the rubric for a First-Year course versus a graduate course) which was really useful, but then, when it came time for discussing assigning a grade, they used a totally different type of rubric and assignment. I wish they would have shown assigning a grade to the example they had been using. It seems that would have completed the process. And, 2) the publishers have a website on the book where you can download rubric templates. This was good. The complaint is that the authors also have a website which promises discussion boards, more templates, etc. However, it is essentially a shell that was set up when the book was published in 2005 and nothing much has transpired since then. For these two reasons, I give it a 4-star versus a 5-star rating, but the bottom-line is, get this book to learn how to create assessment tools that will help your students and YOU!

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Book!!!!!! August 13, 2005

By Cate108

Format:Paperback

This book has cut my grading time in half. It is very practical. It has numerous examples and a step-by-step approach to make rubric creation easy. I read several other books about rubrics but most of them were for K-12, program assessment or were completly theoretical. This book tells you have to create a tool that will allow you to grade quickly and fairly. A must have for college teachers!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not groundbreaking guide to rubrics October 15, 2008

By Windmill Chaser

Format:Paperback

This book provides a useful overview of rubrics and offers numerous examples of different types and styles of rubrics. Stevens and Levi write in a clear and straightforward style that busy educators will appreciate. Regretfully, the authors of the book base many of their claims about the utility of rubrics (in particular, the idea that rubrics save time and that students should be involved in rubric instruction) on their own experience without referencing any other already-existing education research as support. Even so, this book still will be helpful for college-level instructors looking systematically incorporate rubrics into their classes.