Using and assessing blogs for class
This page is still under construction.
Jill Walker lists some things that work in the classroom when using blogs:
- Concrete tasks, in classroom
- Set up tasks where students have to link to each other
- Insist on feedback to other students
- The teacher must model good blogging
- Encourage feedback and editing of posts
- Set tasks that require reading and linking to other blogs
And Susan Hyde lays out some DOs and DON’Ts. Do, she says
- Keep curriculum objectives and specific standards of learning in mind
- Focus on skills that students have learned in past lessons as well as new areas of instruction
- Provide students with a copy of the rubric before a writing assignment is begun
- Encourage students to use the rubric during peer editing
- Include space for suggestions and words of encouragement
- Provide examples of writing that meet the standards of the rubric, and discuss these examples in class
- Use the rubric to keep your scoring and comments consistent to a standard
Susan also says that you shouldn’t:
- Include items on the rubric that have not yet been explained in class
- Expect a finished and polished project on early drafts
- Compare one student’s work with another’s
- Be afraid to have students help you design a rubric based on provided learning objectives
- Include subjective or irrelevant items on the rubric. Make the assessment specific to the learning goal
Assessment rubrics
You can develop your own assessment rubric for each course or class you teach. Assessment areas might include:
Content
- Ideas
- Comprehension
- Intellectual engagement with course
- Critique
- Reflection
- Analysis
- Creativity
- Data gathering
Posts
- Writing quality
- Relevance of links or embedded media
- Post frequency
- Community
- Comments/visits
Design and admin
- Organisation
- Appearance
- Use of enhancements (if using widgets, etc.)
- Management and administration
Links and resources
Assessment rubrics
Self-assessment sheet, (jpg) Konrad Glogowski
Rubric for assessing reflection blogs, Catholic community forum
Blog Reflection Rubric, Department of Ed Tech, San Diego State Univesrity
Blogging assessment rubric, (pdf) Alec Couros
Assessment discussion
Grading with Assessment Rubrics Guide to Evaluating Writing and Alternative Learning Project, Susan Hyde
Blog management, moderation and protection, Al Upton
Replacing grading with conversations, Konrad Glogowoski
Making assessment personally relevant, Konrad Glogowoski
Assessment tools, CLPD, Adelaide University
