"ChecBric" Assessment Tool

The "ChecBric" is a simple to use assessment tool that can be paired with any existing or newly created assignment. It combines components of a checklist and rubric and hence the name. The ChecBric should be introduced to students when an assignment is given, collected when the assignment is turned in by students, and ultimately completed and returned to the students by the instructor along with the assignment.

In addition to being a very usable tool for instructors and students, the ChecBric has multiple advantages: it requires students to attend to the assignment criteria, it helps develop self-assessment skills in students, and it allows an instructor to "weight" different criteria in an assignment as they wish.

Here is how it works for any given assignment:

  1. Determine what the criteria for success will be by writing a 1-2 sentence criteria statement in each row of the tool. The statement should make it clear what the student must accomplish and how well it should be accomplished. For example, "The central thesis of the paper was supported by multiple forms of evidence." The "how" part of the criteria statement is the quality indicator and stems such as the following can be used: The ______were supported by. The ______included ______. The ______demonstrated ______. Include as many criteria statements as necessary for any given assignment.
  2. Determine the weighting you wish to assign each criteria by assigning point values. In the model on the following page you can simply change the point values as needed. You may wish to eliminate point values for each individual criteria and use a single holistic score.
  3. When students have completed an assignment require them to self-assess on each criteria by adding their point values and add their own reflective comments about their performance the assignment. They then turn in the ChecBric along with the assignment. The tool can be modified to include a comment section after each criteria statement if you wish.
  4. When you receive an assignment, complete with the student completed ChecBric, you assign points for each criteria statement and then complete the instructor comment section. This is a time to identify what the student did especially well and to provide and explanation about why any points were deducted for each of the criteria.

Students have responded well to this assessment tool and appreciate receiving a consistent form of specific feedback. I suggest that you try this tool with one assignment, tweak the model based on your experience, and make the instrument your own!

Developed by Jay Rasmussen, Bethel University

“ChecBric”

Student “Chec” Column / Criteria / Instructor “Bric” Column
/20 pts. / /20 pts.
/20 pts. / /20 pts.
/20 pts. / /20 pts.
/20 pts. / /20 pts.
/20 pts. / /20 pts.
Total / /100pts.
Student Comments: / Instructor Comments: