Banta Inspiration

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What inspired this project?

Visualizing My Master's Project Journey

Initial Inspiration

I was interested in the different approaches that studies have taken in measuring how pairing rubrics and model work impacts self-assessment and student achievement. I was excited to test these approaches and gather research with my 8th-grade Language Arts students.

Most of the research I read involves three steps: testing rubric/exemplar benefits, self-assessment accuracy, and revision actions of students. The testing steps usually follow: one, providing students with solely a rubric, the next providing them solely exemplars, and finally providing students with both. Often they are testing the options with one assignment, but three different groups of students. This method seems very overwhelming to me–and somewhat unfair to the groups that don’t end up with the best approach. So, I decided to collect research from all five of my class periods, using identical approaches in lesson design and implementation.

I chose to incorporate these ideas for using rubrics and exemplars independently and paired together with a unit covering narrative writing. Over the course of the study it was interesting to review the results and start to look at trends and information that is standing out. Check out my journey in my class blog and research paper.

Action Research Steps

Progressive and intentional use of rubrics and exemplars to guide student self-analysis during a narrative writing unit.
Students learned key narrative elements: plot structure, figurative language, sensory details, dialogue, and varied sentence types.
Early in the unit, students annotated short stories and were assessed using a simple rubric (no exemplars); self-assessments were compared to teacher evaluations.
Midway through, students used graphic organizers to plan narratives; they received rubrics and teacher-created exemplars to support their development.
As drafts progressed, students received additional rubric criteria and leveled student samples for comparison and revision.
Student self-reflections were again compared to teacher-assigned scores.
Learning surveys were given at the beginning, middle, and end of the unit to measure understanding and perceived usefulness of rubrics and exemplars.
Data collected included student self-assessment accuracy and growth from formative to summative assessments.

Analyzing Learner Needs

This research approach demonstrates a comprehensive analysis of learners’ needs while embedding iterative learning, reflection, and growth opportunities throughout the unit.

Sociological
- Recognized the importance of student agency and voice through self-assessment practices.
- Encouraged collaborative learning by allowing students to interact with peer exemplars.
Instructional
- Promoted equity and inclusion by scaffolding expectations and offering accessible models of success for a diverse group of middle school learners.
- Designed rubrics and exemplars to make expectations transparent and instruction more student-centered.
- Gradually introduced rubric criteria to align with instructional progression and developmental readiness.
Technological
- Leveraged Google-based pre-surveys and feedback forms to collect student reflections and analyze understanding over time.
- Used digital annotation or online writing tools to facilitate interactive engagement with texts and rubrics.
Educational
- Aligned instruction with standards-based narrative writing goals, ensuring students practiced key academic skills like plot development, figurative language, and dialogue.
- Used scaffolding (rubrics + exemplars) to transition students from formative to summative tasks with increasing independence.
Prototyping and Feedback Loops
- Supported metacognition and self-regulation by embedding self-assessment moments across the unit.
- Treated student narrative drafts and planning activities as evolving “prototypes” of final products.
- Provided exemplars at different quality levels as “models” to compare against in development stages.
- Employed self-assessment and reflection at multiple points to create ongoing feedback cycles

Research

Design Process

Support and Next Steps