Self-assessments
have become increasingly popular tools because they involve students in
monitoring their own progress. Self-assessments can range in structure
from pre-made checklists and questionnaires to student-generated reflections
in a science journal (e.g., “What is the most important idea I learned
today?”). The latest research in cognition and learning tells us
that students need self-assessment opportunities daily to reflect on what
they have learned. In addition to consolidating knowledge, self-assessments
encourage students to reflect on the learning process itself: “What
don’t I understand?” “How am I sure that I actually
do understand?” “What successful strategies did I use as I
learned?”
In the spirit of self-assessment, many high school teachers are choosing
to provide their students with the same scoring guides that they use to
evaluate performance or written assessments, and are requiring students
to score themselves (as in the Active Physics Assessment Rubric for Group
Work, below). Many teachers find that when students play a central role
in the assessment process, they (1) become more aware of the features
that constitute high-quality work, (2) make more realistic judgments about
their work, and (3) set goals for their own improvement and exercise greater
control over reaching those goals. Because performance criteria are out
in the open, the grading process is no longer a mystery; students can
see exactly what they need to do, and they can take themselves through
the same evaluation process that their teachers use.
Many teachers are also finding success with self-assessment as they encourage
students to record and then revisit their “pre-instructional ideas”
(as in the BioCom Self-Check 1 and Self-Check 2, below). Teachers can
ask students to articulate how their thinking has changed over time, and
can then grade students on their reflections as well as on the revised
content.
Embedded Reflection
Biology, A Community Context (BioCom) includes two different student “self checks” in each unit to help students evaluate what they know. The first self check is designed to help students analyze their understanding of the skills, information, and ideas presented to them. Questions are factual or related to student personal experiences and are designed to remedy any perceived deficiencies. The second self check is designed to provide a more extensive and comprehensive review of what students should have learned during the course of the unit. It also serves to prepare students for the final components of the unit. Self Check 2 is meant to foster debate and discussion, rather than a single right answer. It is meant to get at broad conceptual understanding and the nature of science. There are self check assessment rubrics in the teacher guide designed to help students determine how well they have provided evidence of learning up to each point in the unit.
In the “Matter and Energy for Life” unit, for instance, students are asked to reflect on the benefits of reuse and recycling, trash audits, the differences between degradability and biodegradability, and the carbon life cycle in the environment, etc.
Learn more about this example of an Embedded Reflection.
Scoring Rubrics
Active Physics is designed partly to develop self-directed learners. Students are asked to work in cooperative groups as an integral part of coursework. The small groups work to acquire the knowledge and information necessary to tackle the chapter challenges and chapter scenarios. As part of a final evaluation of group work, students are asked to fill out an assessment rubric for the team.
The Assessment Rubric for Group Work asks each individual team member to rate how roles were carried out, how the group discussion went, how organized the group was, problems that arose, and whether or not all tasks were completed.
Learn more about this example
of a self-reflective Scoring Rubric.
