Empowering student learning through rubric-referenced self-assessment.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of rubric-referenced self-assessment on performance of anatomy assignments in a group of chiropractic students.


METHODS
Participants (N = 259) were first-quarter students who were divided into a treatment group (n = 130) and a comparison group (n = 129). The intervention for both groups involved the use of rubrics to complete the first draft of assignments. General feedback was given by the instructor, and then the students had the opportunity to amend the assignments before resubmission (second draft). The treatment group, however, was also asked to perform rubric-referenced self-assessment of their assignments during their second draft. Although the comparison group was also provided with the identical rubrics for the assignments, the students in this group did not perform rubric-referenced self-assessment.


RESULTS
The results revealed that the students in the treatment group who used a rubric-referenced self-assessment learning tool received statistically significant higher scores than the comparison group, who did not use this rubric-referenced self-assessment tool.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that practicing rubric-referenced self-assessment enhances student performance on assignments. However, educators continue to face the challenge of developing practical and useful rubric tools for student self-assessment.
Xiaohua
X
He
Anne
A
Canty