6 Reasons to Try a Single-Point Rubric
A format that provides students with personalized feedback and works to have them from focusing solely on their grade.
As educators, we understand the effectiveness of a good rubric. Well-crafted rubrics facilitate clear and communication that is meaningful our students which help keep us accountable and consistent in our grading. They’re important and classroom that is meaningful.
Usually once we speak about rubrics, we’re referring to either a holistic or an rubric that is analytic even if we aren’t entirely knowledgeable about those terms. A rubric that is holistic an assignment on to general levels from which a student may do, assigning a complete grade for every single level. For instance, a holistic rubric might describe an A essay utilizing the following criteria: “The essay has a clear, creative thesis statement and a frequent argument that is overall. The essay is 2–3 pages long, demonstrates MLA that is correct formatting grammar, and offers an entire works cited page.” Then it would list the criteria for a B, a C, etc.
An rubric that is analytic break every one of those general levels down even further to incorporate multiple categories, each with its own scale of success—so, to continue the example above, the analytic rubric may have four grades levels, with corresponding descriptions, for every of the following criteria points: thesis, argument, length, and grammar and formatting.
Both styles have their advantages and have served many classrooms well.
However, there’s a option that is third introduces some exciting and game-changing potential for us and our students.
The rubric that is single-point a different way of systematic grading when you look at the classroom. Like holistic and analytic rubrics, it breaks the facets of an assignment on to categories, clarifying to students what kinds of things you anticipate of them within their work. Unlike those rubrics, the single-point rubric includes only guidance on and descriptions of successful work—without listing a grade essay writing help, it could look like the description of an A essay when you look at the holistic rubric above. In the example below, you can observe that the rubric describes what success looks like in four categories, with space for the trained teacher to spell out how the student has met the criteria or how they might still improve.
A single-point rubric outlines the standards a student has got to meet to complete the assignment; however, it leaves the categories outlining success or shortcoming open-ended. This approach that is relatively new a host of advantages of teachers and students. Implementing new ideas inside our curricula is never easy, but allow me to suggest six reasoned explanations why you need to give the single-point rubric a try.
1. It gives space to think about both strengths and weaknesses in student work. Each category invites teachers to share with students meaningfully whatever they did really well and where they could wish to consider making some adjustments.
2. It does not place boundaries on student performance. The single-point rubric doesn’t make an effort to cover most of the facets of a project that could go well or poorly. It offers guidance after which allows students to approach the project in creative and unique ways. It will help steer students away from relying way too much on teacher direction and encourages them to create their ideas that are own.
3. It really works against students’ tendency to rank themselves and also to compare themselves to or contend with one another. Each student receives unique feedback that is specific to them and their work, but that can’t be easily quantified.
4. It can help take student attention off the grade. The look with this rubric emphasizes descriptive, individualized feedback over the grade. In place of centering on teacher instruction to be able to strive for a particular grade, students can immerse themselves when you look at the connection with the assignment.
5. It generates more flexibility without having to sacrifice clarity. Students continue to be given clear explanations for the grades they earned, but there is however a whole lot more room to take into account a student taking a project in a direction that a holistic or analytic rubric didn’t or couldn’t account for.
6. It’s simple! The single-point rubric has much less text than many other rubric styles. The odds which our students will actually see the rubric that is whole reflect on given feedback, and remember both are a lot higher.
You’ll notice that the theme that is recurring my list involves placing our students in the center of your grading mentalities. The ideology behind the single-point rubric inherently moves classroom grading away from quantifying and streamlining student work, shifting student and teacher focus in direction of celebrating creativity and risk-taking that is intellectual.
If you or your administrators are concerned in regards to the not enough specificity involved in grading with a rubric that is single-point Jennifer Gonzales of Cult of Pedagogy has established an adaptation that incorporates specific scores or point values while still keeping the main focus on personalized feedback and descriptions of successful work. She offers a quick description of the scored version along with a rather user-friendly template.
Whilst the single-point rubric may require it also creates space for our students to grow as scholars and individuals who take ownership of their learning that we as educators give a little more of our time to reflect on each student’s unique work when grading. It tangibly demonstrates to them that we have confidence in and value their educational experiences over their grades. The dwelling of the single-point rubric allows us as educators to exert effort toward returning grades and teacher feedback with their proper roles: supporting and fostering real learning within our students.