Teachers as Designers of Formative e-Rubrics: A Case Study on the Introduction and Validation of Go/No Go Criteria

Abstract

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) offer new roles to teachers to improve learning processes. In this regard, learning rubrics are commonplace. However, the design of these rubrics has focused mainly on scoring (summative rubrics), whereas formative rubrics have received significantly less attention. ICTs make possible electronic rubrics (e-rubrics) that enable dynamic and interactive functionalities that facilitate the adaptable and adaptive delivery of content. In this paper, we present a case study that examines three characteristics to make formative rubrics more adaptable and adaptive: criteria dichotomization, weighted evaluation criteria, and go/no-go criteria. A new approach to the design of formative rubrics is introduced, taking advantage of ICTs, where dichotomization and weighted criteria are combined with the use of go/no-go criteria. The approach is discussed as a method to better guide the learner while adjusting to the student’s assimilation pace. Two types of go/no-go criteria (hard and soft) are studied and experimentally validated in a Computer-Aided Design assessment context. Bland-Altman plots are constructed as discussed to further illuminate this topic.