Skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving are frequently cited as important outcomes for STEM degree programs, as well as being part of the science practices promoted by the NGSS. The Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM (ELIPSS) project has developed materials and strategies that support the facilitation of these skills. These materials include rubrics that can be used to assess student interactions and completed work and provide students with feedback and suggestions for improvement to further their progress.

These feedback rubrics and accompanying implementation strategies have been employed at a wide variety of institutions, across a broad range of STEM disciplines and varying class sizes. Approaches have been developed for providing students feedback and support in both in-person and virtual classroom settings. Assessments are completed by students, by the instructors, or classroom learning assistants. Rubrics can be completed in many formats, including paper, electronic platforms, and through the use of student response systems. A summary of implementations and commentary on successful entry strategies from early adopters will be highlighted.

Skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving are frequently cited as important outcomes for STEM degree programs. However, the development of these skills is often taken for granted, and they are not often explicitly discussed or assessed in the classroom. Assessment serves two purposes: (1) providing a measure of achievement, and (2) facilitating learning by conveying what is valued in a course. This project has developed feedback-focused rubrics that serve as a resource for instructors to assess and support student skill development. Faculty and students from multiple institutions representing multiple STEM disciplines have verified the validity and utility of these rubrics in a variety of STEM courses. Implementation of the rubrics has been shown to positively impact faculty reflection and student outcomes.

Process skills feedback was provided to students in a large, fixed seating classroom while also managing group POGIL activities. Each class session, the instructor focused on a single group and recorded their interactions using a video camera. After class, the instructor observed the recorded group and scored their interactions using the ELIPSS rubrics. The feedback was later provided to the whole class.

After initially introducing process skills on the first day of class, the instructor and course assistants monitored student groups throughout the room and provided feedback to students as they worked. Students were given laminated copies of analytic rubrics for the instructor and course assistants to write down notes, avoiding any interruptions in student work. This allowed students to review rubrics and implement suggestions during the class period.

Students were assigned a semester-long proposal project to write together as a team. Students first went through a peer review process based on the ELIPSS analytic written communication rubric before the instructor provided feedback. Pros and cons of this method are described.

Several times throughout a semester, students were given support on how to think about process skills and complete rubrics. Students were asked to evaluate themselves after each lab and were given a process skill component (row) and examples of each level (1-5). The instructor read responses and provided online feedback throughout the semester.

During class, students provided ELIPSS rubric ratings of their team performance by entering in a string of scores (for each rubric category) using a student response system (clickers). This allowed assessment of consistency within and between teams. Different data displays offered options for discussing results with students. Clicker questions are shown that assess for and promote productive discourse.

Students were introduced to process skills on the first day of class. Students worked in teams and developed research proposals during the latter half of the course. The interpersonal communication and teamwork ELIPSS feedback rubrics were used by instructional assistants to give feedback as students worked on their proposal projects. Also included is a discussion of challenges of using paper rubrics.