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Module 05: Project-based Learning and Rubrics



In this module, I learned about project-based learning as well as some other forms of alternative assessment. Then I learned how to build my own rubric to assess learners' performance. 

The first part I found interesting in this module is project-based learning. In my class, I have been doing what I thought was project-based learning: giving my learners a project at the end of the course, and the learners would finish that project using what they have learned. After watching the video Projects and Project-Based Learning: What's The Difference? by Edutopia, I realized that there is a difference between doing projects and project-based learning and that what I have been doing was only doing projects, not project-based learning. Project-based learning requires learners to come up with solutions to real-life problems, and the process of doing the project IS the learning process. With this new understanding in mind, I am going to change the way I look at projects and come up with more realistic meaningful projects for my learners. 

In this module, I also had an informative discussion with my classmates about the use of alternative assessments and rubrics in class. Some of the ideas I found interesting are: alternative assessments could help learners better acquire language and improve critical and problem-solving skills (Ha Tu), rubrics could be used as educational tools (Thanh Cong), and learners can create customized learning objectives using rubrics (Hue Dung). I think these ideas have extended my views on rubrics and alternative assessments, and help me make better use of them in my class.

The last part of the module is creating a rubric. At first, I had some trouble building a rubric using Rubistar, but in the end, I was able to create a decent rubric for my lesson. In the Zoom discussion session, I got a chance to look at Mr. Cong's and Ms. Hieu's rubrics, which were very detailed and carefully designed. We also had a very productive discussion on the problems surrounding rubrics. Earlier that day, we had a lesson on test reliability in a different MA class called "Language Testing and Assessment". As we discussed rubrics, we made connections between the reliability of test scoring and that of rubrics. We concluded that even though it is very hard to quantify the criteria of rubrics, we can still make rubrics more reliable by having many scorers, writing detailed descriptions, and having teachers and learners familiar with the rubrics. I believe that these connections we made truly strengthened our understanding of the knowledge we learned in both classes.

The next class is our last session before the final assignment. I am looking forward to what we are going to learn this week.  

Comments

  1. Cao Thành CôngMarch 27, 2024 at 9:40 AM

    Thanks for sharing. I love that you include some relevant points regarding another course in the postgraduate program. Every knowledge we co-construct starts to connect as we move towards the end of the program.

    ReplyDelete

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