Brandy Stark

QM January 2016

Become familiar with this diagram. It offers a concise description of writing a helpful review.

1. Standard: Be sure to review the specific standard, and any annotations, from the QM Rubric.

2. Course Evidence: Once the Standard is firmly in mind, look through the course being evaluated. Ask yourself if the course meets the Standard at 85% or higher.

3. Find Examples: Remember to include examples (with specific locations) from the course when writing a review. If the content matched the Standard, show how. If it did not, explain why not. Characteristics

Review these ideologies for great review writing practices:

Constructive

Specific

Measurable

Sensitive

Balanced

Educators know their craft and not meeting standards can be a frustrating experience. When problems are identified, try to offer solutions. Remember that the goal of the review is to make sure that the class meets a higher standard. If it doesn’t, reconstruction and implementations will get it to that next level.

Specific : Utilize those examples! Put yourself in the shoes of the instructor, and show what is being recommended. It will make the process of building the class easier and more understandable from multiple viewpoints.

Measurable: Begin with an action verb that describes a suggestion that can be evaluated. Remember Bloom’s Taxonomy and other educational tools that aid with this process. Put that knowledge to work.

Sensitive: Educators are often deeply tied to the content they present. Remember to keep recommendations positive. We are here to help improve the learning experience.

Balanced: Point out strengths as well as weaknesses. Remember that this is a process of improvement, but there are areas that are wonderfully facilitated.