| Category | Exemplary | Emerging | Lacking | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | Routinely provides useful ideas and is a leader who contributes a lot of effort. | Occasionally provides useful ideas and is a satisfactory group member who does what is required. | Rarely provides useful ideas and often does not participate. | Has not contributed to the group work. |
| Problem-solving | Routinely looks for and suggests solutions to problems. | Occasionally looks for and suggests solutions to problems. | Rarely looks for and suggests solutions to problems. | Has not engaged in problem-solving. |
| Attitude | Is never publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Always has a positive attitude and encourages others. | Is rarely publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Usually has a positive attitude and encourages others. | Is sometimes publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Sometimes has a negative attitude and rarely encourages others. | Is often critical of the project or the work of others. Regularly has a negative attitude and is not encouraging to others. |
| Focus on the task | Consistently stays focused on tasks. Very self-directed. | Usually stays focused on the tasks. Is a reliable team member. | Rarely stays focused on tasks. Needs reminders and is not consistently reliable. | Not focused on tasks. Not reliable. |
| Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together. | Usually listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not disrupt the group’s work. | Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Is sometimes disruptive to the group’s work. | Does not work well with others. |
This rubric is adapted from one of several teamwork rubrics at University of Texas at San Antonio, Core Curriculum: Rubrics and Resources. This rubric will be used by each member of a team to evaluate each teammate. It can also be used for self-evaluation.
Peer evaluations are a crucial and often underutilized component of group work. They provide students with the opportunity to assess their peers' contributions, fostering a sense of accountability and encouraging active participation. Peer evaluations can also enhance critical thinking and self-reflection, as students must consider objectively the strengths and weaknesses of their peers' work. This process helps students develop valuable skills, such as teamwork, communication, and constructive feedback, that are applicable in professional settings.
To implement peer evaluations effectively, it's essential to establish clear guidelines for students.
To implement peer evaluations:
- Create a transparent and accessible rubric for students to use, like the one above.
- Review the rubric with students before the group work begins.
- Discuss how to give constructive feedback, emphasizing the importance of being respectful and specific.
- Share examples of and discuss the characteristics of strong and weak team members.
- Make changes to the rubric based on student feedback and how well it works when used for grading.
- If desired, develop the rubric with students; active involvement in this process can help students invest in the larger project (and can be enlightening for instructors).