About Our "Rubric Processor" and "Rubric Library"

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	Rubrics are tools used to help educators assess the quality of a complex performance is a way that is both reliable and valid. In the example below, a tool for assessing the quality of a technology-enhanced lesson is offered. Each row in the rubric represents one element or objective, and each column represents a different rating. A number of "points" can be assigned to each rating, for each objective, making it possible to score the overall performance. Most educators advise sharing the rubric with the student before the student is asked to perform.
	Title: Technology Lesson Objectives Weak Needs Improvement Not Quite Exemplary Performance Student Engagement 0 points Few students were engaged inthe lesson. 5 points Many students were engaged in the lesson. 15 points Almost all students were engaged inthe lesson. 20 points All students were engaged in the lesson. Collaboration 0 points Few students were collaborating in important ways. 5 points Many students were collaborating in important ways. 15 points Almost all students were collaborating in important ways. 20 points All students were collaborating in important ways. Tool Use 0 points Few students were using the technologies in powerful ways. Higher-order thinking was not supported by the technologies. 5 points Many students were using the technologies in powerful ways. Higher-order thinking was supported by the technologies. 15 points Almost all students were using the technologies in powerful ways. Higher-order thinking was the rule, and was supported by the technologies. 20 points All students were using the technologies in powerful ways. Higher-order thinking was the rule, and was supported by the technologies. Links to the Real World 0 points The content of the lesson was not tied to life outside of school. 5 points The content of the lesson was related to life outside of school. 15 points The content of the lesson included important connections to life outside of school. 20 points The content was derived from and tied directly to life and activities outside the school. Thinking Skills 0 points The lesson was not really about thinking. The emphasis was on learning low-level facts and concepts. 5 points Higher-order thinking was activated, but opportunities to engage higher-order thinking were clearly missed. 10 points Higher-order thinking was common, but it was common for some students to sit back and leave the higher-order thinking to others. 20 points Higher-order thinking was common and all students were actively engaged in higher-order thinking.
	Rubrics can raise a teacher's expectations for student performance, and they can help students reach these new, higher expectations. For this reason, we are working on the development of an online "rubric processor" and a library of rubrics that teacher educators can use to assess the quality of future teachers' work with technology. When it is complete (mid-October of 2002), our rubric proocessor will: Allow up to 20 different objectives per rubric Allow educators to select the objectives to be included in each use of the rubric (most educators like to focus on about five objectives during each assessment.) Allow each objective to have a different number of ratings, and a different set of labels for the ratings Be scorable online, resulting in an email to the student Allow for, but not require numeric "points" to be assigned to each rating Allow for the differential weighting of objectives when points are used Produce the option of narrative and tabular outputs. A library of rubrics designed to help teacher educators assess the quality of student work will be developed by the AECT project, and user-developed rubrics may also be shared through our rubric library. If you are interested in using rubrics between now and mid-October, we suggest the following sites as good places to get started: David Warlick's "Rubric Builder" The "Rubristar" website, by ALTec, the University of Kansas The "Rubric Bank" by the Chicago Public Schools
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