Use of rubrics in online assessment

Abstract

Asynchronous online discussion board are an effective alternative form of assessment in higher education. Properly planned and constructed they can assist in the promotion of learning (including generic and discipline specific knowledge and skills) and are considered a useful formative assessment tool. However recent research indicates that this form of assessment is still rarely used in higher education, whether in fully online courses or in blended learning models. With increasingly large class sizes, lecturers are constantly being challenged to provide effective formative assessments which allow for feedback to students to assist them in acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills in a meaningful context. Often cited is the lack of time to both plan and mark assessments and this is considered a major reason that lecturers shy away from online discussion boards which require regular monitoring. A further concern is how to grade online discussions. This paper advocates the use of several strategies to address the above issues, as well as plagiarism, including the use of rubrics, exemplars, self and peer assessment and the involvement of students in the design of assessment criteria. The paper also illustrates how online discussion boards allow lecturers and tutors to monitor the quality of group discussions which may be harder to achieve in a traditional face to face group setting. The University of Adelaide is promoting the use of rubrics with online group discussion boards and the paper will provide examples utilised in a third year Agricultural course, as well as student evaluations of this approach to assessment.