Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17525 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

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"

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.

About the Author
Dannelle D. Stevens is professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Portland State University, and the co-author of Introduction to Rubrics. She and Joanne E. Cooper have been teaching journal keeping together for ten years and have published scholarly articles, book chapters and conference papers on this topic.

Antonia J. Levi is Associate Professor, University Studies, Portland State University.

Customer Reviews

Introduction to Rubrics
As a department head at a junior college, I try to insure that we give our students a good grounding in their academics as we prepare them for upper level coursework. This includes consistent and fair assessment. I ordered this book (with my own money and a coupon) for all of the instructors in my department after purchasing one for myself last year. It is easily red, understood, and of great utility.

Good but not groundbreaking guide to rubrics
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.

Easy to understand and use
This book was a valuable tool in understanding the nuts and bolts of rubrics; how to write them, how to revise them,and the role they play in analyzing student work to inform instruction.