Dr. Klak created a detailed rubric to assess written student work in GEO 401/501, Sustainable Regions, and in GEO 473/573, Development and Underdevelopment.  The rubric combined critical thinking traits such as problem statement, alternative viewpoints, and conclusions, with content learning outcomes such as discussion of obstacles to sustainability, and grammatical and structural traits such as the citation system used.  The rubric was used for his own grading of the papers and as well as for peer reviews of the papers.  Students were allowed to revise the paper based on the feedback from the peer review.  He also developed a rubric for students to use for self-evaluation of their participation in class discussion.  He found that the rubrics “provide students with a much more concrete idea of what I am looking for in the various assignments.”

Rubric

Klak Rubric

Dr. Klak teaches a field course (GEO 499/599) in the Commonwealth of Dominica in the Eastern Carribbean that is open to all majors.