Using rubrics as a learning and teaching tool

1. Using rubrics as a marking tool Using rubrics as a learning and teaching tool

2. Problems we faced School Examinations The rubrics that we designed to assess students’ papers did not work. The performance of the students ≠the expectation of the teachers

3. What makes us change?

4. Mark allocations Assessment criteria – Ideas Mechanical skills

5. A complaint letter The topic sentences did not present in their writing.

6. What kind of pollution do people cause? A complaint letter

7. A complaint letter No paragraphing!

8. A complaint letter No paragraphing!

9. A complaint letter The closing sentence is missing.

10. A complaint letter The closing sentence is not appropriate.

11. A complaint letter - The performance of less able classes  Full of grammatical and spelling mistakes.  Cannot organize the writing well.

12. A complaint letter - The performance of less able classes  Full of grammatical and spelling mistakes.  Cannot organize the writing well.

13. Learning Teaching Assessment What happened to our students? Students’ learning differences? Not enough support? What do the teachers want?

14. Teachers’ Belief • Rubrics have the potential to scaffold students’ writing. • Rubrics can be a learning tool more than just an assessment tool. Having students engage in a process of ongoing evaluation that provides precise and detailed information about what is expected for a particular assignment, as well as guidance on how students can improve their writing on that assignment (Cooper,1999;Cooper & Odell,1999;White,1994; White, 2000).

15. Rubrics as learning tools • Applying writing and assessment rubrics in the learning tasks. Backward mapping – content and context input and language input. Criteria for marking and assessment.

16. Writing program •  Period: January, 2008 •  No. of lessons: 8-10 lessons •  Students information: • Group 1 (6A + 6B) Able classes • Group 2 (6C+6D+6E) Less able classes • Writing task: Group 1 (Narrative writing – A special person) • Group 2 (Expository writing – A complaint letter)

17. Implementation Plan • For able classes Day 1 1.1 Use the articles from the textbooks to illustrate the ideas of topic sentences(s), supporting sentence(s) and concluding sentence(s). 1.2 Provide more reading materials and demonstrate the use of the graphic organizer. 1.3 Students work in groups and finish the pre- writing activity. • For able classes Day 1 1.1 Use the articles from the textbooks to illustrate the ideas of topic sentences(s), supporting sentence(s) and concluding sentence(s). 1.2 Provide more reading materials and demonstrate the use of the graphic organizer. 1.3 Students work in groups and finish the pre- writing activity.

18. Identifying key parts of a text Identifying topic sentences and details Building up cohesive text with topic sentences and support details

19. Implementation Plan Day 2 2.1 Help students build up the concept of the relationship among topic sentences, supporting sentences and concluding sentences. 2.2 Introduce the rubrics and explain the criteria to the class (the 1st time) . 2.3 The first tryout on using rubrics to assess a piece of writing. 2.4 Generate the grading from each group and have a debriefing activity with the class.

20. Implementation Plan Day 3 3.1 Revise the criteria listed on the rubrics with the class. 3.2 Students start their 1st draft writing.

21. Implementation Plan Day 4 4.1 Demonstrate how to assess students’ writing by using rubrics. 4.2 Students work in groups and try to highlight the topic sentence(s), supporting sentence(s) and concluding sentence(s). 4.3 Discuss with the children about the appropriateness of those sentences. 4.4 Students work individually and do the peer editing according to the criteria mentioned. 4.5 Collect students’ perception on using rubrics during their writing process.

22. Implementation Plan Day 5 5.1 Revise the criteria listed on the rubrics with the students again. 5.2 Work with the whole class in order to use rubrics to assess the student’s writing. 5.3 After analyzing the writing with the students, students grade their own writing. 5.4 Students do the self-regulation / self-evaluation on their writing. 5.5 Conduct the students’ questionnaires.

23. Students’ works A special person

24. The special people chosen by 6A students

25. Assessment rubrics – A special person

26. The performance of the able student Special Event Concluding sentences

27. The performance of the average student Opening sentence Concluding sentences

28. The performance of the average student Although he has a lot of money, he is not selfish. He is so rich and generous. He has built a lot of school in China and he always give the money to the poor people. The schools and money can help many children who live in China. Li Ka Sing is a rich businessman. He has more than one hundred trillion dollars. His money is number 10 in the whole world, He earns more than 10 million dollars a day.

29. The performance of the average student Self reflection on organizing ideas

30. The performance of the less able student Topic sentence vs. supporting sentences

31. The performance of the less able student Using the common language to help student right better

32. Students’ performance – Less able classes

33. Students’ performance – Less able classes

34. Survey findings

36. Interviewing with the students I think that ‘rubrics’ are really helpful because I only need to read the rubrics to know the requirements before writing. Then, I just follow them to write and I can get satisfactory results at last. Comparing it to the time in Primary 5 when there were no rubrics, I got lost sometimes and I didn’t know what the focuses were when I wrote. I think that rubrics do not help much because I don’t have a good understanding of what the criteria mean. They are too difficult.

37. Interviewing with the students I am afraid that I may rely on the rubrics. I may not perform well without having the rubrics when I am sitting for the examination. Also, I am not sure if every secondary school uses rubrics. I can make use of the rubrics to have the self-checking after finishing the writing task. Also I can give more concrete opinions to my classmates when we are having peer editing. In the past, I only paid attention to spelling and punctuation during peer editing. I do not agree with you. I think we can study thoroughly and remember the criteria of getting high marks before sitting for the examination. I think that ‘rubrics’ does not help me much since there is not much difference between now and before. I think that I have already been able to finish a writing task in the way that rubrics teach.

38. Teachers’ reflections The questionnaires indicate that simply handing out and explaining the rubrics can help students understand what are expected of them in the writing, but translating the knowledge into actual writing is very demanding. The details on the rubrics will motivate the students to pay close attention to specific requirements for the task. It is advisable to reduce the number of criteria of rubrics, especially for the less able students.

39. Teachers’ reflections Many students find the language of some rubrics too difficult to understand. There are many “jargons”. In practice, teachers should adapt the rubrics to the proficiency level of the age group they're working with. The sentence pattern / vocabulary used on the rubrics should be more comprehensive and “student” friendly. Students lack the skills in doing the peer editing and self-regulating. It is worth crating more opportunities for practice.

40. In the second term, we are going to… Design the writing package for each writing task that includes: • Teacher’s guidelines • Writing sample to illustrate the features of different genres. • Assessment rubrics • Student’s writing task

41. Thank you!