Is a Rubric Worth the Time and Effort?
Conditions for Success
Keywords:
Higher education; Learning assessment; RubricAbstract
Education scholars have developed rubrics for decades. However,
do instructors (supposedly principle stakeholders) actually use rubrics at
universities in the way, and to the extent, that scholars expect? Through a
focus group and series of semi-structured interviews, this paper examines how
Japanese university instructors use or do not use rubrics. This study is divided
into three stages: 1) a pilot interview with seven faculty members at the
Nagoya University of Commerce and Business (NUCB); 2) a focus group with
six faculty members at NUCB; and 3) further exploratory interviews with 13
faculty members at seven universities in the Tokai area of Japan. The findings
show that many Japanese instructors do not know about rubrics, and even
those who do will not necessarily use them. The current research suggests that
rubrics could be instrumental and effective assessment tools if certain
conditions are met. Factors influencing rubric use include: 1) instructors‘
understanding of and engagement in using rubrics; 2) examining and
understanding the contexts in which rubrics are used; and 3) placing political
pressure on instructors to use rubrics at the institutional level.
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