yoshina_feb07

7/28/2019 yoshina_feb07

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By J oan M. Yoshina

and Violet H. Harada

Of special interest to grades... K-5 6-8 9-12

Fourth graders are creati ng an exhibit oninvasive species for an upcoming EarthDay celebration. The focus for their

display is an essential question:Howcan we protect our native environmentfrom invasive species? The students workin groups to investigate an endangeredecosystem (e.g., f orest, beach, wetland) andplan their presentat ions. Each display wi l lidenti fy nati ve plants and animals andexplain the impact of invasive species onthe natural balance that exists inthe ecosystem.

In a nearby middle school, students areworking on their projects for an upcomingHistory Day exhibi t. To address this years

theme, Taking a Stand, each student isresearching a person in history who took astand and made a difference. The class hasagreed that every project wi ll address twoessential questions:How do people takea stand? andWhy is it important totake a stand?

The above examples represent astudent-centered approach that engagesyoungsters in exploring big ideas.In each case, the project reflects aschoolwide, inquiry-focused approachto learning that encourages students tocreate personal knowledge by:

Asking meaningful questions

Planning and executing an investigativestrategy

Accessing and evaluating informationin a variety of sources

Organizing information for an effectivepresentation

Expressing a personal point of viewabout the topic or theme

10 LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION February 2007

Involving Students

in LearningThrough Rubrics


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Projects like these present naturalopportunities for library mediaspecialists to partner with teachers. Inboth of these examples, the library mediaspecialists support learning by helpingplan instruction and teaching importantskills. They also take responsibilityfor assessing learning related to theinformation search process.

In inquiry environments, assessmentis integral to the learning process. Thismeans that students not only assess theirown work, but they also help identifythe criteria for assessment and designthe tools for measuring the quality ofthe performance. One critical assessmenttool, which is being used in countless

classrooms, is the rubric. Increasingly,educators accustomed to using rubrics asa tool for improving students writing areapplying the same strategy to monitoringand assessing a range of authenticlearning tasks. Rubrics make qualitythe standard for assessing both teachingpractices and student achievement.

They encourage students to shift theirthinking from What have I learned? toHow well have I learned it?

Designing Rubrics

A well-constructed rubric identifies thecriteria for a successful performanceand describes the qualities of strong,adequate, and weak performances(Harada and Yoshina 2005). Students whoare involved in the process of creatinga rubric have a better understanding ofwhat must be done to reach expectations.With the rubric as a guide, they learnto monitor their own progress and makeimprovements in a timely manner.

Heidi Goodrich Andrade (n.d.) hasidentified key guidelines in developing

sound rubrics. We have extendedAndrades guidelines (see fig. 1) byindicating how the instructors andstudents might work together to designuseful rubrics. We have used the twoexamples introduced in the beginning ofthe article to explain how library mediaspecialists might be involved in thecreation and use of rubrics.

Students not only assess their own work, but they also help identify the criteriafor assessment and design the tools for measuring the quality of the performance.

Elementary School Example:Invasive Species

Wendy, the library media specialist atthe elementary school, plans a series oflessons on aspects of the informationsearch process that are critical toinvestigating the topic of invasivespecies. Because questioning is at theheart of the inquiry process, she decidesto focus her first lesson on helping fourthgrade students improve their questioningskills. She uses the following six-stepguidelines (see fig. 1) for developing andusing rubrics.

Step 1: Examine models representing

different performance levels.Wendy reproduces sample questionwebs collected from a previous project.She asks students to compare thewebs and explain why some are betterthan others. Here are some of thecomments overheard:

These questi ons dont make sense.

These dont have anything to do wi th theessential question.

H ow can you tell whether it s nativeor invasive if you dont ask where itcame from?

Through these conversations, studentslearn to recognize the kinds of questionsthat are needed to address the essentialquestion and complete their projects.

Step 2: List criteria for asuccessful performance.

Wendy calls attention to the performancetask and asks students to thinkof questions that will help themsuccessfully complete the project. Shealso asks them to consider what they willneed to find out to address the essential

question. After some discussion, Wendyhelps them express these two criteria asstudent-friendly We can statements:

We canask questions that address theessential question.

We canask questions that will help uswith our project.

Using these goal statements as a startingpoint, Wendy begins to draft a rubricfor questions. She refers to the question

LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION February 2007 11

Guidelines Role of instructors Role of students

1Examine modelsrepresenting differentperformance levels.

Select work samplesrepresenting different levels ofquality.

Engage in discussions aboutwhat quality work looks like.

2List criteria for a successfulperformance. Synthesize discussion, helpingstudents identify criteria. List criteria for a qualityproduct.

3Create a rubric describingdifferent levels of quality.Draft the rubric. Explain therubric to students. Use feedbackto revise it.

Ask questions about the draftrubric. Provide feedback forrevision.

4Practice using the rubricon a work sample. Demonstrate how the rubric isused to assess a work sample. Work in groups to assess worksamples with the rubric.

5Use the rubric to guideindependent practice.Incorporate self-assessment andpeer assessment into practicesession.

Use feedback to self-assess andmake improvements.

6Use the rubric to assessthe final product orperformance.

Use the rubric for finalassessment.

Use rubric to assess the finalproduct.

Figure 1: Guidelines for Developing and Using Rubrics


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webs introduced in step 1 and involvesstudents in identifying criteria formeeting each goal.

Step 3: Create a rubric describing differentlevels of quality.

To save time, Wendy crafts the remainderof the rubric, incorporating studentssuggestions wherever possible. Afterstudents have an opportunity to reviewthe rubric and offer feedback, it isrevised and distributed. Each groupuses the rubric (see fig. 2) as they workon question webs for their invasivespecies projects.

The rubric for questioning is an exampleof a process rubric. It is developed toguide students through a critical aspectof the information search process. Withthe rubric as a tool, Wendy is able todetermine early on whether students areable to ask the questions needed to framethe inquiry.

Step 4: Practice using the rubric on awork sample.

Armed with copies of the revised rubric,students work in small groups to assessone of the question webs used as awork sample. Wendy and the classroomteacher facilitate the practice sessionby providing feedback, focusing on theproper use of the rubric. After studentshave an opportunity to share the resultsof their assessment and reflect on whatthey learned, they are ready to apply the

rubric to their own work.

Step 5: Use the rubric to guideindependent practice.

Students work in groups to createquestion webs for their own projects.As they develop their webs, they usethe rubric to assess the quality of theirquestions and make adjustments. (Seefig. 3 for a web developed by a groupfocusing on wetlands.)

After using the rubric to assess theirquestions, the students expand theirwebs by adding the following spin-offquestions:

How can you tell the differencebetween native and invasive species?

Where do the invasive species comefrom? How did they get here?

How do they harm native species?

What will happen if we dont doanything about the problem?

What solutions have already beentried? Did any of them work? Why orwhy not?

Step 6: Use the rubric for a final assessmentof question webs.

The same rubric that is used to structurelearning is used to assess how wellstudents have learned the skill. Studentspost their completed question webs, andteams use the rubric to assess the webscreated by other teams. Students offercomments and questions to explaintheir ratings.

Wendy and the classroom teacher usethe rubric to assess students ability to


We can write questions that relate to the essential question:How can w e protect our native environment from invasive species?

Criteria Advanced Proficient Novice

Our questions will help us:

1Describe the environment.

2Identify native and invasivespecies in that environment.

3Identify the problem.

4Explain the causes and effectsof the problem.

5Suggest possible solutions.

6Examine the pros and cons ofeach solution.

7Explain the importance ofprotecting the ecosystem.

Ourquestions

relate to allthe criteria.

Ourquestions

relate to fiveor six of the

criteria.

Ourquestions

relate to fouror fewer ofthe criteria.

We can w rite questions that will help us w ith our project.

Our questions will help us:

1Create an accurate likeness ofthe plants and animals thatlive in the ecosystem.

2Correctly label native andinvasive species inthe ecosystem.

3Develop an accurate anddetailed model or display.

Ourquestions

address thethreecriteria.

Ourquestions

address twoof the threecriteria.

Ourquestions

address oneof the threecriteria.

Figure 2: Rubric for Questions

Why are these

invasive species

a problem?

What plants

and animals

are native tothe wetlands?

What species

have invaded

the wetlands?

Why is it

important to

protect thewetlands?

How can

we protect the

wetlands from

invasive

species?

Figure 3: Sample Question Web


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ask powerful questions that providedirection and frame the inquiry. Studentsplace the question web and the rubric intheir portfolios to be shared with parentsas evidence of learning.

Secondary School Example:History Day

The History Day project focuses on theconstruction of an informational posterboard. Because students research theirtopics with the end product in mind,they need to know at the outset what theexpectations are for their poster boards.

The instructional team decides to involvestudents in designing a rubric for theirHistory Day projects.

A well-constructed rubric identifies the criteria for a successful performance anddescribes the qualities of strong, adequate, and weak performances.

Step 1: Examine models representingdifferent performance levels.

Ron, the library media specialist, helpsstudents determine criteria for assessing

their poster boards. He engages studentsinterest by taking them on a gallerywalk featuring poster boards saved fromprevious projects. As they walk throughthe gallery, students write comments andquestions on sticky notes that are placedon the projects.

Step 2: List criteria for a successfulperformance.

Ron uses students comments to helpthem formulate criteria for their ownproducts. Students comments can beturned into assessment criteria (see fig. 4).

Step 3: Create a rubric describing differentlevels of quality.

Ron uses the criteria (see fig. 4) to drafta rubric for the History Day posterboard. He gives students the opportunityto review the rubric and suggestchanges. (See fig. 5 on page 14 for therevised rubric.)

Step 4: Practice using the rubric on awork sample.

With Rons assistance, each groupassesses one of the sample projects thatthey viewed earlier in their gallery walk.After reaching a consensus on the levelof quality represented by the project,the groups use the rubric to explaintheir decisions to the entire class. Ronsynthesizes the activity by engagingstudents in a discussion of how rubricsmight help them with their own projects.

Step 5: Use the rubric to guideindependent practice.

As students work on their projects,

instructors stop them periodically toself-assess their work in relation to therubric. Based on self-assessment andpeer feedback, students revise theirprojects to reflect the quality describedby the rubric.

Step 6: Use the rubric to assess the finalproduct or performance.

The same rubric that is designed andused by students throughout the process

is used to assess the final product.During the History Day exhibit, eachproject receives the following fourassessments: self-assessment, peerassessment, instructor assessment,

and assessment of a team of judgesrepresenting the community. Theseassessments are described below:

Each student uses the rubric to reflecton how his or her project measures upin terms of the criteria for a qualityperformance. This final reflection, alongwith comments on the rubric itself,is displayed with the project in theHistory Day exhibit.

Teams of students are assigned displayboards to assess. After rating a projectin relation to each criterion, the team

provides written feedback that can beused to revise the project in preparationfor the next round of competition.

Throughout the process, the instructorshave used the rubric to keep studentsfocused on the criteria for a qualityperformance. Now they use thesame rubric to provide an objectiveassessment that tells students how wellthey have done. The end result is acontinuous focus on helping studentsachieve standards for quality work.

Judges use the rubric to assess each ofthe projects in the History Day exhibit.Because the rubric identifies the criteriafor a successful project and describesdifferent levels of quality, it servesas a guide to determine which of theprojects are deserving of recognition.Many of the judges also use the rubricto offer informal advice to students.

Benefits of Rubrics

Comments from teachers and librarymedia specialists who have worked withus on rubric design and implementationattest to the benefits of rubrics. Whilethe process involves considerable effort,they maintain the value of studentinvolvement is immeasurable. Here aresome of their reflections:

W hen students are involved in designingrubrics, assessment becomes front andcenter. As students examine models anddiscuss issues of quality, they set goals fortheir own work. Rubr ics are a great tool forcontinuous assessment and improvement.

LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION February 2007 13

Students Comm ents

This one is confusing to look at.

What does this have to do withthe theme?

The facts dont have anything to do

with the main idea.

This doesnt sound right to me.

This one really grabs my attention.

Assessment Criteria

The main idea is clear when you firstlook at the poster board.

The main idea is connected to thetheme and is expressed in the thesisstatement.

Facts and details support themain idea.

All the information is accurate andrelated to the topic and theme.

The presentation is creative, original,and attractive.

Figure 4: Criteria for Poster Board


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I fi nd the rubr ic to be invaluable whenit comes to helping individual students.I f something needs correction, I refer tothe rubr ic. Usually, t he student knowswhat I mean and makes the adjustmentby himself.

Everyone knows the expectat ions. Whenstudents part icipate in creating the rubric,they set expectat ions for their own work.As one of my students put it : Thereis real ly no excuse for not doing well .Everyone knows the expectat ions becausewe helped set them.

Rubr ics put t he kids in the driver seat.

A Final Word

Rubrics are just one of the many toolsin the assessment toolbox. They erasethe divide that often exists betweeninstruction and assessment. Whenstudents are involved in designing andusing rubrics, they also learn to recognize

and strive for quality (Andrade 1999).

Works Cited

Andrade, Heidi G. 1999. When Assessment IsInstruction and Instruction Is Assessment: UsingRubrics to Promote Thinking and Understanding.In L. Hetland and S. Veenema, eds.The Project ZeroClassroom: Vi ews on Understanding. Cambridge,MA: Harvard Graduate School of Education. 10March 2006 (www.lookstein.org/heterogeneous/hetero_edu_rubrics.htm).

Andrade, Heidi G. n.d. Understanding Rubri cs.Cambridge, MA: Harvard Graduate School ofEducation and Project Zero. 10 March 2006(http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ALPS/thinking/docs/rubricar.htm).

Harada, Violet H. and Joan M. Yoshina.2004. I nquiry Learning Through Librar ian-Teacher Partnerships. Worthington, OH:Linworth.

Harada, Violet H. and Joan M. Yoshina.2005. Assessing Learning: Librar iansand Teachers as Par tners.Westport, CT:Libraries Unlimited.

J oan M. Yoshina is a retired library mediaspecialist living in Hawaii.

Violet H. Harada is a professor in the University ofHawaiis Library and Information Science Program.

They have co-authored Inquiry Learning Through

Librarian-Teacher Partnerships(Linworth Publishing

Inc., 20 04 ) and Assessing Learning: Librarians and

Teachers as Partners (Libraries Unlimited, 2005).


Criteria Advanced Proficient Novice

Ideas/Content knowledge The main idea is related to thetheme and is expressed in thethesis statement.

Examples, quotes, and otherdetails support the main idea.

All information is accurateand complete.

The information explains howthe person changed society bytaking a stand.

The main idea is related tothe theme and is expressed inthe title.

There are enough details tosupport the main idea.

Most of the informationis accurate.

The information shows howand why the person took astand.

The main idea is not clearlystated.

There are few details tosupport the main idea.

Not much of the informationis accurate.

The information does not showhow and why the person tooka stand.

Visuals All visuals help othersunderstand the message.

All captions connect thevisuals to the theme.

Most of the visuals relate tothe topic.

Most of the captions connectthe visuals to the theme.

Few visuals relate to the topic.

Few captions connect the

visuals to the theme.

Overall appearance The board is attractive, wellorganized, and neat.

The board makes you want tostop and read it.

The board is attractive, wellorganized, and neat.

The board is easy to read andlook at.

The board needs more work. Itis not attractive.

You walk right by the boardwithout noticing it.

Conventions There are no errors inspelling/grammar.

There are few errors inspelling/grammar.

There are many errors inspelling/grammar.

Figure 5: Rubric for Assessing Informational Poster Boards

J oan M. Yoshina Violet H. Harada

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