Development of a Task and Rubric for a Biology Class at Highline Community College
Julie Barclay, ESL Instructor Green River Community College

My part of this presentation involved two parts. I briefly shared how I, as an ESL instructor, align these issues of state, local and national assessment processes into my course materials.  Then I shared the process of creating a holistic and analytical rubric. My husband (Gerry Barclay) teaches biology at Highline Community College, and we created some rubrics to assist in the scoring of an essay project that he does as a component of his Biology 121 class on genetics.

To create the rubrics we started with the evaluation criteria for this essay project:

Biology 121- The Genetic Revolution

Instructor: Gerry Barclay

The determinism essay will be based on the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and the movie GATTACA.

Criteria for Evaluation:

1. What is the issue?

2. Why should we care about determinism?

3. Are their differences in how we view determinisms?

4. How is free will impacted by these determinisms?

These criteria formed the basis for creating the rubrics. We started with the holistic rubric. The bulleted points are the criteria from above. The descriptive words in bold define a continuum of performances.

 

 

EXCEPTIONAL

 

Exceptional: There is evidence in this response that the student has a full and complete understanding of the essay assignment.

  • Introduction includes a full and complete definition of both types of determinism
  • Answers to the how, what, why questions demonstrates full synthesis of the information.
  • The film and novel, and their connections to determinism, are summarized with pertinent and supporting details.
  • Essay demonstrates effective ability to critically analyze media according to genetic principles learned in class.
  • Conclusion includes several detailed relevant suggestions for future solutions to issues/ problems raised in Brave New World and GATTACA
  • Essay is clear, cohesive and reveals insight into genetic principles.  

 

3

 

EXPANDING

 

 

Expanding: There is evidence in this response that the student has a good understanding of the essay assignment.

  • Introduction includes a definition of both types of determinism.
  • Answers to the how, what, why questions demonstrate an understanding of the information.
  • The film and novel, and their connections to determinism, are summarized.
  • Essay demonstrates an ability to critically analyze media according to genetic principles learned in class.
  • Conclusion includes some relevant suggestions for future solutions to issues/ problems raised in Brave New World and GATTACA
  • Essay is clear and cohesive and reveals some understanding of genetic principles

2

 

 

 

 

BRIDGING

 

Bridging : There is evidence in this response that the student has a basic understanding of the essay assignment.

  • Introduction includes a partial or incomplete definition of both types of determinism
  • Answers to the how, what, why questions demonstrate some understanding of the information.
  • The film and novel, and their connections to determinism, are summarized with occasional errors in facts and interpretation.
  • Essay demonstrates limited ability to critically analyze media according to genetic principles learned in class.
  • Conclusion includes a suggestion for future solutions to issues/ problems raised in Brave New World and GATTACA
  • Essay is somewhat clear and cohesive but reveals limited understanding of genetic principles

 

1

 

 

 

BEGINNING

Beginning: There is evidence in this response that the student has limited or no understanding of the essay assignment.

  • Introduction includes a definition of only one type of determinism or incomplete definition of both types determinism that contains errors.
  • Answers to the how, what, why questions demonstrate little or no understanding of the information.
  • The film and novel, and their connections to determinism, are summarized with several errors in facts and limited interpretation.
  • Essay demonstrates limited ability to critically analyze media according to genetic principles learned in class.
  • Conclusion includes suggestions for future solutions to issues/ problems unrelated to Brave New World and GATTACA
  • Essay is unclear and with little cohesiveness and reveals almost no understanding of  genetic principles

 This is an example from the rubric above shows how richly descriptive language can describe a range of student performances or products.

             4

      3

   2

    1

Introduction includes a full and complete definition of both types of determinism

 

 

 

 

Introduction includes a definition of both types of determinism.

 

 

 

Introduction includes a partial or incomplete definition of both types of determinism

 

 

Introduction includes a definition of only one type of determinism or incomplete definition of both types of determinism that contains errors.

·       A holistic rubric assesses student work as a whole 

·       You assign a single score for a performance along a continuum of performances

·       It requires teacher judgment

This is an example of how the evaluation criteria can fit into an analytical rubric.

 

Weak

(0-1 points)

Average

(1-2 points)

Strong

(2-3 points)

Exceptional

(3-4 points)

1. Introduction with definitions of determinisms

 

 

 

 

2. Answer the questions: What is the issue? Why should we care about determinism? Are their differences in how we view determinisms? How is free will impacted by these determinisms?

 

 

 

 

3. Summary of film or novel and connection to its determinism.

 

 

 

 

4. Summary of other one and connection to its determinism

 

 

 

 

5. Analysis of strengths and weaknesses of film and novel relative to what you have learned in class.

 

 

 

 

6. Your position and answer to #2

 

 

 

 

7. Conclusion: suggestion for future solutions to issues/ problems raised in Brave New World and GATTACA

 

 

 

 

8. Overall clarity in communication.

 

 

 

 

·        An analytic rubric identifies and assesses components of a finished product.

·        You get several scores for the task, one for each element.

“Rubrics can be powerful communication tools.

          --they communicate in concrete and observable terms what is valued most

          --they can provide a rationale for assigning grades to subjectively scored assignments

         --sharing rubrics empowers students to critically evaluate their own work” (Chicago Public Schools instructional intranet; http://intranet.cps.k12.il.us/)