Rubrics and Flipped Classrooms: Hard Work Up Front Pays Off Later - Summer webinar recap

Dr. Michael D. Swartz of the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston introduced us to rubrics and polls for flipped classrooms in this webinar: “Rubrics and flipped classrooms: What are they and how do they work in biostatistics classes?”

What are rubrics?

Dr. Swartz defined a rubric to be a matrix of possibilities that can be developed from a basic answer key. He emphasized that developing such a tool will take some time, but you can use it every time you grade with the following advantages:

- Decrease amount of time it takes to grade

- Support uniformity of grading for teams

- Prevent grade inflation

- Maintain exam security

- Present expectations to students on assignments up front

Dr. Swartz then walked us through some examples using Google Sheets to show the layout and design, which may include items such as the maximum number of points available, expectations, comments, and actual points awarded. Dr. Swartz recommended making copies of the master sheet for each student to ease editability. He noted that a simplified version of the rubric should be shared with the students early on, so they know what is expected. However, the detailed rubric should only be shared with students after they submit their assignment to avoid sharing too much information too soon.

What are flipped classrooms?

In the flipped classroom, as Dr. Swartz explained, didactic material is consumed outside of class and hands-on or active learning is done in the classroom. Dr. Swartz clarified that asynchronous material for the students does not need to be recorded lectures. Rather, it can be short quizzes that would ensure or encourage students to complete assigned readings. Dr. Swartz mentioned that one of the biggest challenges for instructors is writing in-class problems in addition to homework problems to be completed outside of class. Rather than flipping their entire class, teachers can adopt a partially flipped classroom approach and take advantage of some of the tools available, such as polls.

What are polls?

In a traditional classroom setting, when the instructor asks a question in class, only one student can answer. In a flipped classroom, as Dr. Swartz explains, all students could have the ability to answer with the use of polling technology.

Dr. Swartz provided some poll examples for partially flipped classrooms. Students could:

- work individually or with a partner to solve a problem under a specified time limit (10-15 minutes).

- answer textbook type questions that check their understanding of their assigned readings.

- answer multiple quick (2-5 minute) live polls to see how much they gained from lecture.

When discussing the responses, the instructor must decide whether to focus on the right answer or explain why the others are wrong answers.

Dr. Swartz explained that polls can be used to:

- maintain engagement

- get a sense of what students gained from lecture

- take attendance based on the percent that completed the poll

- examine percent correct.

We encourage you to create your own rubrics and polls and consider sharing your experiences with others. We welcome your thoughts in the comments below.