Number of references to class reading sources
0-2 references
3-5 references
6+ references
Historical accuracy
Lots of inaccuracies
Few inaccuracies
No apparent inaccuracies
Historical Argument
No argument made; little evidence for argument
Argument is vague and unevenly supported by evidence
Argument is clear and well-supported by evidence
Proof reading
Many grammar and spelling errors
Few (1-2) grammar or spelling errors
No grammar or spelling errors
For other examples of rubrics, see CRLT Occasional Paper #24 (Piontek, 2008).
You can also use these guidelines for scoring essay items to create grading processes and rubrics for students’ papers, oral presentations, course projects, and websites. For other grading strategies, see Responding to Student Writing – Principles & Practices and Commenting Effectively on Student Writing .
Cashin, W. E. (1987). Improving essay tests . Idea Paper, No. 17. Manhattan, KS: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Kansas State University.
Gronlund, N. E., & Linn, R. L. (1990). Measurement and evaluation in teaching (6th ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Halpern, D. H., & Hakel, M. D. (2003). Applying the science of learning to the university and beyond. Change, 35 (4), 37-41.
McKeachie, W. J., & Svinicki, M. D. (2006). Assessing, testing, and evaluating: Grading is not the most important function. In McKeachie's Teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (12th ed., pp. 74-86). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
McMillan, J. H. (2001). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective instruction. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Park, J. (2008, February 4). Personal communication. University of Michigan College of Pharmacy.
Piontek, M. (2008). Best practices for designing and grading exams. CRLT Occasional Paper No. 24 . Ann Arbor, MI. Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.>
Shipan, C. (2008, February 4). Personal communication. University of Michigan Department of Political Science.
Svinicki, M. D. (1999a). Evaluating and grading students. In Teachers and students: A sourcebook for UT- Austin faculty (pp. 1-14). Austin, TX: Center for Teaching Effectiveness, University of Texas at Austin.
Thorndike, R. M. (1997). Measurement and evaluation in psychology and education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Wiggins, G. P. (1998). Educative assessment: Designing assessments to inform and improve student performance . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Worthen, B. R., Borg, W. R., & White, K. R. (1993). Measurement and evaluation in the schools . New York: Longman.
Writing and grading essay questions. (1990, September). For Your Consideration , No. 7. Chapel Hill, NC: Center for Teaching and Learning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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COMMENTS
Restricted-response essays: (i) require students to supply, not just identify, the answer and (ii) can target specific mental skills; Extended-response essays: emphasize integration and application of high-level skills; Can measure writing skills in addition to (or instead of) knowledge and understanding
Restricted Response - These essay questions limit what the student will discuss in the essay based on the wording of the question. For example, "State the main differences between John Adams' and Thomas Jefferson's beliefs about federalism," is a restricted response.
Essay questions are used both as formative assessments (in classrooms) and summative assessments (on standardized tests). There are 2 major categories of essay questions -- short response (also referred to as restricted or brief ) and extended response.
In this blog post, we’ll explore what exactly a restricted response question is and how it differs from other question types. We’ll also delve into why they are used and offer some tips on how to answer them effectively.
Restricted Response Essay Questions Restricted response usually limits both the content and the response by restricting the scope of the topic to be discussed. Useful for measuring learning outcomes requiring interpretation and application of data in a specific area.
Restricted-response, or short-answer, questions likely have expected “correct” responses (e.g., “List the major components of Freytag’s triangle in dramatic structure.”). Extended-response questions (the focus of this paper) are those that typically come to mind when envisioning a traditional essay exam—questions
Restricted response essay questions are valuable for assessing specific skills or knowledge within a limited domain. When constructing these items, ensure the question is focused and that students are aware of any word or time limits.
Restricted response essay questions are good for assessing basic knowledge and understanding and generally require a brief written response (e.g., “State two hypotheses about why birds migrate. Summarize the evidence supporting each hypothesis” [Worthen, et al., 1993, p. 277].)
An open-ended (or unrestricted response) essay question is one where there are no restrictions on the response, including the amount of time allowed to finish, the number of pages written, or
Essay questions can be classified into two types:3 • Restricted response essays; limit both content and response as indicated within the question. The restricted response essay addresses a limited sample of the curriculum or learning outcomes.4 The restricted response essay may commonly be known as: