College Students' Use of a Writing Rubric: Effect on Quality of Writing, Self-Efficacy, and Writing Practices
Abstract
Fifty-six college students enrolled in two sections of a psychology class were randomly assigned to use one of three tools for assessing their own writing: a long rubric, a short rubric, or an open-ended assessment tool. Students used their assigned self-assessment tool to assess drafts of a course-required, five-page paper. There was no effect of self-assessment condition on the quality of students'; final drafts, or on students' self-efficacy for writing. However, there was a significant effect of condition on students' writing beliefs and practices, with long rubric users reporting more productive use of self-assessment than students using the open-ended tool. In addition, across conditions, most students reported that being required to assess their writing shaped their writing practices in desirable ways. Keywords: rubrics, self-efficacy, self-assessment, working memory, writing quality, writing beliefs, college writers