Scoring Guides, Rubrics, and Checklists
Scoring guides, rubrics, and checklists can be effective assessments for formative assessment because such instruments typically include multiple criteria that students must master before taking a summative assessment to show they have achieved an outcome. Scoring guides and rubrics can be effective as summative assessment instruments. These tools most often clearly state criteria and require an instructor to either “rate” the degree to which the students meet the criteria or simply indicate the student does or does not meet each expectation. Scoring guides and rubrics can be applied to (used to score) a variety of assignments, including projects, presentations, research, written essays or papers, case studies, skill demonstrations, and more, and – assuming multiple faculty use the same scoring instrument and calibrate their use of the instrument – trend analysis becomes possible. Trend analysis allows faculty to address the degree to which their students are learning in the classroom, and trend analysis allows an institution to discuss the quality education it provides.