‘Who are you to judge my writing?’: Student collaboration in the co-construction of assessment rubrics

ABSTRACT

Collaborative models of involving students in the co-construction of assessment rubrics are rare. Inviting students to take part actively in the design of assessment rubrics is one method of filling this research gap, potentially garnering a shared understanding of assessment requirements. Rubrics traditionally are constructed by educators, based on set criteria, in order to streamline grading more cohesively and equitably. But research demonstrates that assessment rubric use is usually of more benefit to the educator in grading, than to the student in undertaking the assessment task – the educator understands requirements but often specific requirements are not clear to the student. Using a multiple case study research approach which incorporated a modified Delphi method to gather expert views on rubrics, the study outlined in this paper explores the outcomes of collaborating with creative writing students at the rubric design stage of the assessment process. This paper discusses the rubric co-construction process facilitated by a writing lecturer and a team of students from one university who took part in collaborating and developing a creative writing assessment rubric. The processes adopted to implement this co-construction process are reported, the products of which were distributed to a 250-student cohort and reflects on the value of this pedagogical innovation.

KEYWORDS:

• Rubrics
• co-construction
• collaboration
• enhanced student learning
• creative writing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval details

The research reported in this project was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees at three institutions: (1) Avondale College of Higher Education, NSW. HREC reference number: 2016:40. Ethics approval granted on 29 September 2016; (2) University of Technology Sydney, NSW. HREC reference number: ETH16-0910. Ethics approval granted on 1 November 2016; and (3) Charles Sturt University, NSW. HREC reference number: H16157. Ethics approval granted on 7 December 2016.

Notes on contributors

Dr Sue Joseph, a journalist for more than 35 years, began working as an academic, teaching print journalism at the University of Technology Sydney in 1997. As Senior Lecturer, she teaches journalism and creative writing, particularly creative non-fiction writing, in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Her fourth book, Behind the Text: Candid Conversations with Australian Creative Nonfiction Writers, was released in 2016. She is currently Reviews Editor of Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics.

Dr Carolyn Rickett is an Assistant Dean of Research, Senior Lecturer in Communication and creative arts practitioner at Avondale College of Higher Education. She is co-ordinator for The New Leaves writing project. Together with Judith Beveridge, she is co-editor of T. New Leaves Poetry Anthology. Other anthologies she has co-edited with Judith include Wording the World; Here, Not There; and A Way of Happening. Her research and teaching interests include trauma and bereavement studies; writing as therapeutic intervention; memoir and autobiographical writing; medical humanities; journalism ethics and praxis; literary and poetry studies; the psychosocial and spiritual care of patients.

Dr Maria Northcote is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, Business and Science at Avondale College of Higher Education in New South Wales, Australia. She is an experienced higher education teacher, leader and researcher and is involved in undergraduate and postgraduate education, and professional development. Some of her research interests include threshold concepts, educational technology, online teaching and professional learning.

Beverly Christian is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Business and Science at Avondale College of Higher Education in New South Wales Australia. Her specialty area is classroom pedagogy and professional development. Her research interests include school culture and ethos, pedagogical approaches to learning and the role of nature in well-being.

ORCID

Sue Joseph http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4978-6633

Carolyn Rickett http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1157-1832

Maria Northcote http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6375-9669

Beverly J. Christian http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0507-4960

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an Innovation and Development Grant from the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), Australia: Owning the rubric: Student engagement in rubric design, use and moderation [grant no. ID16-5374].