Assessment Tools Evaluation: RubiStar

For the upcoming WebQuest project, I will be using a rubric as an assessment tool. I decided to check out the RubiStar website, which is a free tool to help teachers create rubrics. Initially, it seemed like you had to register, but it is possible to use the tool without registering. Registering allows users to save and edit their rubrics online, and it is also free.

I just quickly looked though the site without registering. If you go to the RubiStar homepage, you will see the following:

Towards the bottom, you can click on a topic below "Create a Rubric." It seems that whatever you click on, it will take you to the same page. I tried clicking on several different topics and they all took me to this page:

Here you can choose a more specific type of assignment. I selected "Public Awareness Campaign" under "Products."

There is a warning that you only have 40 minutes to submit the rubric, but registered users can save it online and continue working on it. You will also need to fill out some basic information towards the top of the page. As you scroll down, you will be able to enter specific details into the rubric:

There is a drop down menu that offers suggestions for scoring criteria; however, it is also possible to rename the categories. It is also possible to change the values. In each box, users can type the specifics about how learners will be assessed.

Overall, this seems like a convenient tool, but it does not seem much different from just typing information into a table on a Word document.