This article explains the use of the multiple intelligences theory and rubric design to assess student learning. A rubric is a series of narrative statements describing the levels of quality of a product or a performance. The article discusses how these assessment tools can be used in K-12 classrooms and notes ways to assess quality results by…

This qualitative study, investigating the claims, concerns, and issues arising within the design stages of problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum units, was conducted during two masters-level classes during the summer of 1999. A hermeneutic dialectic discourse among veteran teachers (who were novice PBL curriculum designers) was facilitated by…

Discusses how to teach the elements of music as well as the National Music Education Standards. Explains that teachers can accomplish this goal by using conjoined rubrics. Describes how to create a conjoined rubric, how to score the rubric, and what resources are available. (CMK)

Focuses on how history teachers can develop a summative teaching portfolio including a checklist of documents to have in a portfolio, criteria for assessing a portfolio, a chart integrating history and teaching standards, and a rubric to assist in evaluating the portfolio. (CMK)

States that when students create rubrics, they have a better understanding of a music class assignment. Addresses how teachers can assist students in creating rubrics. Provides sample rubrics created by students and offers a list of resources related to creating rubrics. (CMK)

Discusses the use of evaluation criteria or "rubrics" by teachers to assess student-produced multimedia presentations and by students to guide them through their work. Describes types of rubrics and presents guidelines to help teachers create and use rubrics. Concludes that rubrics can improve presentations by allowing students to be in…

Explores the development of performance-based assessments from the teacher's perspective. Describes the issues of relevance and representativeness within the context of a rubric designed to assess student development and performance of a rhythmic composition. Discusses three ways a component can be irrelevant, measuring proficiency, and…

If the organisms in a prairie ecosystem created a newspaper, what would it look like? What important news topics of the ecosystem would the organisms want to discuss? Imaginative and enthusiastic third-grade students were busy pondering these questions as they tried their hands at "ecosystem journalism." The class had recently completed…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contributed to vocational rehabilitation assessment of earning capacity. Rehabilitation professionals who attended a national forensic rehabilitation conference were asked to rate the importance of 26 variables in development of opinions of earning capacity. Exploratory factor analysis…

This paper reviews the process a university foreign language department went through in developing a procedure to assess its curriculum using the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and, to a lesser extent, the National Standards, as guiding principles (National Standards, 1996). This procedure included a noncredit workshop that met only once to inform…

This paper examines the problem of studying and comparing student software designs. We propose semantic categorization as a way to organize widely varying data items. We describe how this was used to organize a particular multi-national, multi-institutional dataset, and present the results of this analysis: most students are unable to effectively…

This is a report of an experimental study that focused on adjudicating the art portfolios of secondary art students assessed in both actual and digital forms in order to determine whether art teachers evaluate actual works of art in students' portfolios differently than digital copies of them. The study participants included 178 students of 29…

This study examined the use of rubrics in scoring a performance-based assessment. After receiving a health lesson of ways to have a healthy brain, fifth grade students were given an assignment to illustrate and write a booklet that demonstrated their knowledge of the topic. From students' responses the researchers constructed four sample papers…

Content analysis scales apply rigorous measurement to verbal communications and make possible the quantification of text in counseling research. The limitations of the Origin and Pawn Scales (M. T. Westbrook & L. L. Viney, 1980), the Positive Affect Scale (M. T. Westbrook, 1976), the Content Analysis Scales of Psychosocial Maturity (CASPM; L.…

"Differentiating Instruction With Menus Grades 3-5" offers teachers everything they need to create a student-centered learning environment based on choice. Addressing the four main subject areas (language arts, math, science, and social studies) and the major concepts taught within these areas, these books provide a number of different types of…