A rubric is an essential tool in determining the quality of academic work presented by students for evaluation (Andradea, Dub , " Mycek, 2010). It candidly states what is expected from a candidate to enable them to score a specific grade. Research by Mamchurs " App (2010) shows that self-assessment for students is directly linked to improvement of writing quality, creativity, and organizational skills.
Rubric Development
Self-assessment gives students an opportunity to evaluate their work and has been associated with progressive and sustainable improvement in their performance (Andradea et al., 2010). This rubric contains the key elements of the evaluation criteria where the grading will be segmented into; exemplary, good, and poor.
Mastery of Objectives/ Depth of Research
Exemplary.
The student’s portfolio gives a catchy introduction that demonstrates interest and enthusiasm in the subject. It should demonstrate excellent presentation of ideas and an in-depth analysis of the progress that the student has made in the course. It should show creative expression of the concepts (not less than 5) the student has covered so far. Also, the student should show how each concept will enhance their classroom management capabilities (Andradea et al., 2010).
Good.
The ideas are well presented and the student demonstrates how each of the concept (2-4 ideas) has improved their classroom management strategies. The analysis is fairly deep and the student show creativity in the explanation of the concept. The introduction is relatively deep and arouses the reader’s interest.
Poor.
The student did not introduce the portfolio or they did it poorly. Presents less than 2 concepts which are shallowly discussed. The student lacks enthusiasm and fails to demonstrate their ability to manage a classroom (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
The originality of Concepts/ Creativity
Exemplary.
No plagiarism is detected and the ideas have a personal touch. The student regularly refers to how they will handle specific situations in a classroom.
Good. The portfolio shows originality and no plagiarism is detected. The student uses few or no examples/ case studies of different situations and how they would manage the situation.
Poor.
Some element of plagiarism detected and the paper lacks originality. There are no indications that the student has an attachment to their portfolio and there are zero examples of classroom situations that would require their intervention (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
The accuracy of Concepts/ Quality of Reflection
Exemplary.
The student has given at least 5 concepts that are essential in classroom management. All the concepts are accurate, and the student has proceeded to give accurate solutions to example case studies. The student is persuading enough to confirm that the solution would resolve the problem. Should use both in-text citation and reference list (Andradea et al., 2010).
Good.
The student gives 2-4 concepts all of which are accurate. They have also explained relevant situational examples and offered accurate solutions on how to handle the solution. The student fails to convince that the proposed solution would work effectively. Uses in-text citations and a referencing list.
Poor.
The portfolio gives several misleading class management concepts or fails to give any altogether. No situational examples are given and the student fails to prove their class management techniques. Lacks a reference list (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
Grammar/ Organization
Exemplary. No grammatical errors detected. The work is well-organized into paragraphs with each paragraph having a single concept. An accurate subject-verb agreement, sentence construction, and use of link sentences to allow the flow of ideas.
Good.
Few grammatical errors that do not affect the meaning of sentences. The work is organized into paragraphs with each explaining a single concept. A good subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and sentence arrangement.
Poor.
Many grammatical errors that affect the seamless flow of ideas. Poor sentence construction with a poor subject-verb agreement. Sentences are poorly linked (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
Justification of the Choices Made
Mastery of Objectives/ Depth of Research
The students have conducted several assignments on the portfolio which should be reflected in the essay. According to (Andradea et al., 2010), frequent involvement in self-assessment should yield clarity of thoughts and instill a research culture. As such, the students should demonstrate their ability to conduct deep research on any topic and show mastery of presenting the ideas and objectives of the course. This is a sure way of gauging the student’s performance and the effects of portfolio self-assessment mode of teaching on the achievement of their objectives (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
The originality of Concepts/ Creativity
Plagiarism is not condoned in academic writing (Mamchurs " App, 2010). The students should be discouraged from the vice. Any unoriginal concept should be penalized to teach them about the need to be creative and write own projects.
The accuracy of Concepts/ Quality of Reflection
The students must show a clear understanding of concepts used in classroom management. If they fail to demonstrate accuracy at this level, they will not be serious in the field. The rubrics are time-consuming but they teach the students about first-hand requirements in classroom management and give them an opportunity to gauge themselves (Andradea et al., 2010). Any inaccurate concept should be penalized and seen as an opportunity to avoid the same mistake in future.
Grammar/ Organization
Accurate grammar and organizational skills are primary requirements in classroom management. The two measures provide an opportunity for students to communicate concepts clearly which enhance student participation making the lesson lively (Mamchurs " App, 2010).
Portfolio Evaluation
Grading Criteria
Criteria
Marks
Exemplary
90% and above
Good
65-89%
Poor
Below 64%
Portfolio Score
Criteria
Marks
Reason
Mastery of Objectives
Good (75%)
Has a superb introduction, good flow of ideas but lacks sufficient situational/ case studies examples.
Originality of Concepts
Exemplary (94%)
Excellent flow of ideas, original content, used in-text citation and referencing section
Accuracy of Concepts
Good (82%)
The student used four time management concepts which are well explained with the benefits and examples each case outlined
Grammar/ Organization
Exemplary (90%)
No grammatical errors noted. There is proof that the student proof read their assignment. Excellent subject-verb agreement
Average Score
85.25%/ Good
Excellent use of portfolio, proof of growth in creativity, grammar, and content originality. With the progress, the student will be exemplary in the next assignments
Conclusion
Self-assessment portfolio is an ideal process to involve the students in gauging their performance. It has shown remarkable improvement in their creativity, originality, mastery of content, and organizational skills.
References
Andradea, H., Dub , Y., " Mycek, K. (2010). Rubric‐referenced self‐assessment and middle. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy " Practice, 199-214.
Mamchurs, C., " App, L. (2010). Putting the Rubber in Rubrics. Arts and Education, Prague, 23-34.
