Rubric co-construction in medical and allied health education: Students’ and teachers' perceptions

Abstract

[100 to 250 words] The process of constructing assessment rubrics has traditionally been the responsibility of academic staff who teach into undergraduate university degrees. While many educational researchers and theorists have long recommended the need for students and teachers to work together to co-construct assessment rubrics, few empirical studies have explored the reality of such partnerships. Furthermore, past studies have recommended engaging higher education students in various stages of assessment. Many have focused particularly on the mid and latter stages of the assessment process, including the preparation of assessment submissions and the distribution and interpretation of assessment feedback, but neglect earlier involvement. To address this gap, this study engaged students and teachers in the early stage of assessment design, at the point where assessment rubrics are created. Using a mixed methods approach, students and teachers from three health-related cohorts were surveyed and interviewed after rubric co-construction, and again after use of the co-constructed rubric, to document their experiences. Overall, students and teachers recommended the practice of co-construction, valued the experience, and in the process, gained more insight into each others’ needs. Students benefited by understanding what was required of them in their assessment tasks, and teachers were provided with opportunities to clarify their learning expectations.