Our Assessment Tool: “Co-constructing Criteria”

1. Our Assessment Tool: “Co-constructing Criteria” By: Brittany, Eve, & Jenny

2. Grade 12 University English ENG4U: Reading William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” For our unit students must read William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” out loud as a class. Anystudent may be asked to read. The teacher’s role is to clarify terms and ask questions to ensure students are paying attention. Students will be responsible for learning: the significant events of the play, its characters, the relationships between characters, and the relevant themes.

3. Hamlet Unit: Relevant Strands • Writing

4. To Assess Or Not to Assess... Students will be asked to perform a dramatic reading of a monologue from “Hamlet” based on a rubric- the criteria for which will have been co-created with the students. This dramatic monologue will also help to prepare students for the creation and performance of a eulogy for one of the deceased characters.

5. Our Assessment Tool: Co-Constructing Performance Criteria

6. Lights! Camera! Action! • Hamlet (I, ii) • Example 1 • Example 2

7. Co-Constructing Criteria What criteria might we use to assess a dramatic performance???

8. Defining Levels for the Co-created criteria

9. For Example…

10. The Procedure • Step 1: Perform a bad example of a dramatic performance. • Step 2: Perform or show a good example of a dramaticperformance. • Step 3: Ask students to compare the two performances. • Which was better? Why? • Step 4: Co-create a chart where one side is for verbal elements, the other for non-verbal for a good performance. Refine the list until there are 3 criteria for both verbal and non-verbal. • Step 5: Once criteria is agreed upon by you and your students discuss what levels 1 through 4 might look like using one criteria as an example. • Step 6: Provide students with the rubric the following day to use in preparation for their upcoming presentations.

11. What is the assessment designed to accomplish? • Diagnostic Assessment: • Assessing what they know about verbal/non-verbal cues. • We will be using observation and a “mental checklist” (See next slide). • Assessment AS learning: • Involving students in the assessment process. • Help them think critically about what makes a good quality performance so that they can practice and improve. • Preparation for a future performance.

12. “Mental Checklist”

13. What information is it designed to collect? What do students understand about different verbal and nonverbal components of communication? What are the verbal/nonverbal components they deem necessary for a successful performance?

14. Our Assessment Tool: Overall Expectations • Writing

15. Relevant Curriculum Learning Objectives for our tool • ORAL COMMUNICATION STRAND: • 2.5 identify a variety of vocal strategies, including tone, pace, pitch, and volume, and use them effectively and with sensitivity to audience needs and cultural differences • 2.6 identify a variety of non-verbal cues, including facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact, and use them effectively to help convey their meaning and with sensitivity to audience needs and cultural differences

16. Relevant Research on Co-Constructing Criteria for Rubrics Andrade, H. (2000). Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning. Educational Leadership, 57(5), 13-18. Andrade, H., & Du, Y. (2005). Student Perspectives on Rubric-referenced assessment. Practical Research, Assessment and Evaluation, 10 (3). Davies, A. at “Engagement, Ownership, and Responsibility”: Using Assessment for Learning” - July 20, 2006 conference McNabb, G., Fedoruk, C., & Wallentiny, J. From the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement No. 10. : “Rubrics and Co-Constructing Criteria with Students”. Powerpoint Presentation. Stiggins, R.J. (2000). Student-Involved Classroom Assessment 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall: New Jersey.

17. Relevant Research • Student-Involved Classroom Assessment • “Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop a “vision of success” as well as “make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work” (Stiggins, 2001, p. 11).

18. Relevant Research(continued) • Student perspectives on rubric-referenced assessment - Heidi Andrade, and Ying Du • “The students said that using rubrics helped them focus their efforts, produce work of higher quality, earn a better grade, and feel less anxious about anassignment.”

19. Relevant Research (continued) • Student perspectives on rubric-referenced assessment - Heidi Andrade, and Ying Du • “Students’ comments regarding rubric use were consistently positive. They liked the fact that rubrics let them know “what’s expected,” and contrasted it with the “guessing game” they felt they had to play when teachers did not provide a rubric or some sort of guidelines for an assignment.”

20. Relevant Research (continued) “Some students admitted that, although they used a rubric to plan an assignment, they rarely read every level or gradation of quality: “I would read [levels] A and B, because I wouldn’t want to go less than that”; “I would just glance at [levels C and D] just out of amusement to see what I could get by with”; “I just read A.” “One student said she didn’t read the rubric very closely until she got feedback from the instructor on a draft of her assignment: “It becomes overwhelming… [so] I looked at it more after you had evaluated it, and then I was like oh, I’ve got to improve this category and so I’d look at the [levels] in that category.”

21. Relevant Research (continued) • McNabb, G., Fedoruk, C., & Wallentiny, J. From the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement No. 10. : “Rubrics and Co-Constructing Criteria with Students”. Powerpoint Presentation. • “Performance-based assessment is authentic and grounded in the real world in which students live. It connects teaching and learning in such a way that learning occurs simultaneously as students are completing the assessment.”

22. Relevant Research (continued) • Dr. Anne Davies at Engagement, Ownership, and Responsibility: Using Assessment for Learning. • Rubrics serve an important role in creating assessment that is student-centered and connected to learner outcomes.“Setting criteria with students does not take up valuable instruction time – it is instruction!” • Co-construct – to create a rubric with the input of your students

23. References Andrade, H. (2000). Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning. Educational Leadership, 57(5), 13-18. Andrade, H., & Du, Y. (2005). Student Perspectives on Rubric-referenced assessment. Practical Research, Assessment and Evaluation, 10 (3). Davies, A. at “Engagement, Ownership, and Responsibility”: Using Assessment for Learning” - July 20, 2006 conference McNabb, G., Fedoruk, C., & Wallentiny, J. From the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement No. 10. : “Rubrics and Co-Constructing Criteria with Students”. Powerpoint Presentation. Stiggins, R.J. (2000). Student-Involved Classroom Assessment 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall: New Jersey.

24. Thank you! Any Questions?