Instructional rubrics are a common means of evaluating students’ works. It has proven itself among all participants in the learning process. The rubric is a table containing the essential criteria for assessing work and a description of the qualitative characteristics required for a particular grade. This way of grading allows the teacher to describe their expectations of the quality of the assignments more accurately. Parents, meanwhile, get a chance to analyze the strengths of their child’s work and understand what areas of knowledge or skills require additional attention.
From the student’s point of view, rubrics also have many advantages over other means of assessment. They contribute to a more precise understanding of the essence of the task and the algorithm of its performance. After checking, students can make a detailed analysis of their shortcomings and draw the necessary conclusions about their level of proficiency. Moreover, the systematic use of instructional rubrics promotes the development of meta-skills and highly specialized abilities. After a prolonged experience with the criterion worksheets, students develop their writing, reading, and cognitive skills (“Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning”, 2000). Due to the detailed instructions, the learners can analyze their ideas more thoroughly and assess their way of thinking from different perspectives.
Since rubrics allow students to develop efficiency and independence, they need to be implemented in the evaluation process for all types of work at all stages of study. Teachers can use tables with criteria and instructions as early as the elementary school stages. This will foster a responsible and independent approach to learning and promote more effective mastery of knowledge and skills later in life. A crucial means of increasing the place of rubrics in the learning process is to work with the parents of schoolchildren. The teacher should explain the advantages of this means of assessment so that outside the school, adults can provide children’s work according to the suggested instructions.
Reference
Using rubrics to promote thinking and learning. (2000). Web.