Weekly Writing #5 - Evaluating Learning

Evaluating Learning Through Rubrics

According to Stoughton and Myers, rubrics are tools that are created to help assess student performance ina  more reliable, objective and consistent manner. Rubrics are used to establish guidelines and help ensure that all assignments are consistently graded equally to each other.

There are two types of rubrics: generic and task specific. I personal like the task specific rubric. This type gives you the steps that need to be completed when creating a project such as a woodworking project.

Stoughton and Myers also state that the use of rubrics allows for a greater accountability and reliability in grading and offers a structure and guidance to students as they create their projects. It gives students the inside look into what the teacher is expecting from them.


Evaluating Learning Through Portfolios

This is another great way to evaluate students. It is used by students demonstrating their learning thorugh a collection of their work through-out the whole school year. According to Warner, the framework for establishing the criteria for the portfolio is the following:
1. Use a concept map to acquaint learners with the
content that will be assessed.
2. Determine the setting (e.g. workshop, in the
field, at an individuals home, etc.) where the
content will be applied.
3. Referring to the concept map, identify the
specific concept or sub-concepts that will be
assessed.
4. Clarify the work samples that should be included
in the portfolio. These samples may include, but
are not limited to the following:
 Literature review of the concept being
examined.
 Documentation of the laboratory
investigation (full reports and/or Vee
maps).
 Journals detailing the thoughts and
observations of the student related to the
laboratory investigation.
Visual representations of the laboratory
processes and results.
5. Develop and disseminate the criteria used to
evaluate portfolios.