Can a rubric do more than be transparent? Invitation as a new metaphor for assessment criteria

Abstract

Transparency' is frequently invoked when describing assessment criteria in higher education. However, there are limitations to the metaphor: 'transparent' representations give the illusion that everything can (and should) be explicated, and that students are 'seeing through' to the educators' expectations. Drawing from sociomaterial perspectives on standards, an argument is made for a different way of conceptualising assessment criteria. 'Invitational' enactments offer an alternative metaphor, one which intentionally promotes student learning. Three propositions frame potential use of this metaphor: (1) assessment criteria promote learning when they invite students into a 'productive space'; (2) assessment criteria coordinate sustained learning by inviting multiple enactments across tasks; (3) assessment criteria develop sophisticated ways of knowing by inviting student reflection. Drawing from both metaphors, teachers can design assessment materialsparticularly rubrics, task descriptions and exemplarswhich convey their intentions while also prompting students to develop their own ways of working and learning.

Students’ Perceptions of Instructional Rubrics in Neurological Physical Therapy and Their Effects on Students’ Engagement and Course Satisfaction

“…A rubric is an assessment tool that can be defined as "a coherent set of criteria for students' work that includes descriptions of performance levels for the criteria" [16]. Recently, the use of rubrics in university education has increased considerably, both from the perspective of summative assessment as a grading tool and from the perspective of enhancing formative assessment by guiding students in learning and developing skills [17][18][19][20][21][22][23], which is the perspective adopted in this study.…”

Learning together: A case study of a partnership to co-create assessment criteria

“…However, adoption was variable and confusing to students who could not identify the progress across the various levels of study or differences between departments within the school. This was significant, as the assessment literature suggests that students develop their evaluative capacity through reference to similarity in criteria across a number of assessments (Bearman & Ajjawi, 2021). Student feedback on the existing criteria implied that they were "too dense and abstract to enable them to make judgements about quality" (Carless & Boud, 2018, p. 1317.…”

“Instructional disobedience”: a largely neglected phenomenon deserving more systematic research attention

“…A third strand directly addresses one of the sources of instructional disobedience. While there is already some research, more investigations are needed on how to ensure that students understand what is aimed at and how they can be encouraged or even seduced to accept externally set goals as important and relevant ones (e.g., Bearman & Ajjawi, 2019) . As indicated, a new look at research on self-determination theory might be a interesting starting point.…”