The essay discusses how to use rubrics to generate artefacts that could discourage problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity. Assessments are one of the most important areas within a lesson, as it allows educators to make informed decisions on how to support the students further in the classroom. How to differentiate for them in their lesson planning and gain information that is crucial in understanding what areas of the content being taught need to be revised and adapted accordingly. The second part of this paper will evaluate rubrics the teacher uses to promote creativity, flexibility, and individual initiative.
Abstract
The following essay will discuss how to use rubrics to generate artefacts that could discourage problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity. Assessments are one of the most important areas within a lesson, as it allows educators to make informed decisions on how to support the students further in the classroom. How to differentiate for them in their lesson planning and gain information that is crucial in understanding what areas of the content being taught need to be revised and adapted accordingly. The second part of this paper will evaluate rubrics the teacher uses to promote creativity, flexibility, and individual initiative.
Keywords: Assessments, Conundrum, Initiative, International Baccalaureate, Rubric.
The conundrum of using rubric scores with examples
The following essay will discuss how to use rubrics to generate artefacts that could discourage problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity. The second part of his paper will evaluate rubrics the teacher uses to promote creativity, flexibility, and individual initiative. In an IB school setting students are expected to engage in inquiry-based learning activities, these focus on the ATL (Approaches to Teaching and Learning) skills to encourage critical thinking as outlined by IBO (2018). Therefore, it is important to consider what rubrics to use with specific assessment criteria, so students know what they will be tested for. In the ideal IB situation, the students would be working in conjunction with the teacher on the rubrics, especially in the (PYP) Primary Years Programme.
Analyse the statement from Chapman & Inman (2009): “scoring rubrics discourages creative thought and action” (para, 1). In the context of the presented article, we can assume that gradings are not conducted fairly, and although students are given specific assessment criteria, does it allow them to be creative, and reflect on their learning? Teachers need to allow room for improvement, setting the bar low could affect a student's overall performance, just to justify that they can meet the national grading systems as outlined by administrators (Chapman & Inman, 2009).
It is important to consider the following when presenting accurate rubrics. Do the following questions come to mind using the guidelines of Chapman & Inman (2009) These suggestions can be advantages of grading correctly and using rubrics:
- It guides the students,
- It outlines the explicit expectations,
- It aligns with the standards, and
- It is easy to use, and
- You will receive informative feedback from your students (Chapman & Inman, 2009).
The disadvantages of using rubrics to promote fair grading could involve: it can merely evaluate what the student has done in comparison with what the student understands; it can be too vague for the student; it can have a dysfunctional tail; you test what the students have mastered in comparison to the skills they have set and demonstrated (Chapman & Inman, 2009). These factors contribute to the overall progress of an individual student in your classroom.
The University of Oklahoma (n.d.), encourages the use of both analytical and holistic rubrics, by motivating teachers to consider the following when creating rubrics:
- What is the purpose of the rubric?
- What type of rubric do you prefer to use?
- Are these your specific assessment criteria?
- What is your rating scale? and
- Do your rubrics have descriptors?
This ultimately allows students to understand the expectations when attending your lesson. In the planning process, you should be able to establish how many formations and summaries you are aiming to achieve at the end of the Unit of Inquiry.
According to Suskie (2009), the rubrics:
- Help students understand your expectations
- Help students self-improve
- Inspire better student performance
- Make scoring easier and faster
- Make scoring more accurate, unbiased, and consistent and
- Improve feedback to students (Suskie, 2009).
Considering these factors might allow students to progress in their learning, and be able to improve in certain areas of the curriculum, focussing on their creativity, and understanding of a concept being taught.
Examine whether rubrics that are used allow for 'creativity', 'flexibility, and 'individual initiative'
In the authors' classroom, each student needs to know exactly the expectations in a particular course. The detailed course outlines are shared in advance, with specific details on when students will be assessed. What kind of assessments they will use during the year, how they will be graded, and foremost that each task set will have detailed assessment criteria? Using rubrics, especially assessment criteria, allows students to reflect on their learning, knowing what will be tested, how they will achieve a particular score, and how their work will be evaluated. Areas of reflection are also included, to allow the teacher to adapt and modify the course for other students participating.
To promote creativity in music, for example, the author allows his students to create and compose their music using the band lab. The educational band lab suite program, allows teachers to set assignments, with detailed assessment criteria. Sometimes examples are included, to give students an overall idea of what is expected. The guidelines and assessment criteria are clear, and rubrics are included, to allow them to achieve the highest possible grade. Differentiated tasks are also included to extend the learning of students who can do more, and target according to their academic achievement levels. For students on the EAL (English as Additional Language) and SEN (Special Educational Needs) registry, additional and specific tasks are included, to allow differentiation, but foremostly to test and assess their particular skills. Sometimes, they have to explain the keywords used in the lesson and describe what they have learned in their own words. They are allowed to construct sentences to demonstrate their understanding of a concept taught in their language, which they feel comfortable about.
To promote flexibility the students are given opportunities to reflect on their learning, if the teachers feel they have not required the minimum grades for a particular assessment, they are given another opportunity where they will be evaluated on a particular skill they have to demonstrate. Through peer and self-evaluations, students work together with their peers to have a solid foundation of the work that was covered. Teachers First (2021) confirms that: “They make assessing the students' work efficient, consistent, objective, and quick. Teachers evaluating an assignment know implicitly what makes that assignment excellent, mediocre, or in need of improvemenf'(para. 1).
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- Quote paper
- Mario Maxwell Müller (Author), 2022, Using Rubrics to Promote Creativity, Flexibility, and Individual Initiative in School, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1285153
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