Rubric for Evaluating Syllabi and Plans to Engage Students in Deep Learning

Content / Beginning Status / Meets Some Requirements / Satisfies Requirements / Beyond Requirements
Student Learning Outcomes: Written terms of student behavior, active verbs, appropriate learning levels, content and conditions / Learning outcomes lack one or more of the required components or are too few to cover the course content / Outcomes contain core components may lack clear description of students behavior or be limited in addressing content, skills, or learning level / Outcomes contain required components, cover course content, and address deep learning and application of skills / Outcomes are unusually effective in addressing deep learning, and application of content and skills
Examples of Learning Outcomes in a syllabus / Present the 16th Amendment to Constitution (tells what the instructor, not what students will do). / Students will understand the 16th Amendment (Understanding is not an observable behavior). / Students will analyze and describe the impact of the 16th Amendment on local and state governments. (Requires application of knowledge to another context) / Students will debate the positive and negative impact of the 16th Amendment on local governments. (Adds an active learning element to the outcome)
Course Requirements/Assignments: Aligned with outcomes and provide sufficient feedback using authentic1 assessments / Assignments address some, but not all learning outcomes / Assignments and outcomes are aligned but assignments may lack frequency, relevance or authenticity / All outcomes are aligned with multiple relevant and authentic assignments and requirements / Requirements & assignments are unusually effective in promoting student learning and retention
Examples of assignments and assessment alignment / No evidence of any assignments about Constitutional Amendments. / Two examinations as assignments/assessments. (Limited chances for students to demonstrate mastery and get feedback). / Students write 5 short application papers on various Amendments plus three examinations. / Students write 4application papers, interview a local government official, two debates, and two examinations.
Assessment contents: assessments require students to use critical thinking to analyze and apply content and skills. / Connections between outcomes, assignments & grading are lacking or unclear. / Minor confusion or lack of clarity about defining student performance on rubrics2 or computation of grades / All rubrics and grading information are complete and appropriate. / Unusually effective and clear rubrics and grading policies, e.g., defining how participation points are determined
Examples of assessments that foster critical thinking / Select which amendment authorized a federal income tax? (Assessments are M/C3tests on facts). / Explain the impact of the 16th amendment. (Application and critical thinking are required but a format for judging these is lacking). / Analyze the impact of the 16th Amendment on local and state governments. (Grading rubric specifies elements to be included). / If a member of the Supreme Court, how would you judge the 16th amendment in light of the 10th amendment? (Requires evaluation/interpretation of two broad concepts—rubric included).

1An authentic assessment is one that uses the same format that students would face when applying content and skills in the world beyond that class, including future academic work (i.e., if writing an analysis of…).

2Rubrics, such as this example, provide a framework for judging critical thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and comparing and contrasting.

3Multiple-choice tests can be effective when structured to tap higher levels of learning.

An excellent description of deep learning components (Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy) is at: