Collection of Criteria

These criteria can be used to assess student products. Experts, teachers, peers, or the student might use them.

  • Authenticity: involves accurate information, and/or real materials or equipment. Projects result in a product similar to that of a professional in that field of study.
  • Complexity: richness of content; content focuses on relationships and connections among ideas/people/events rather than isolated facts
  • Contribution: let peers evaluate the nature and/or extent of a group-member’s work in a group activity
  • Creativity (4 different dimensions)
    • Elaboration: number and/or richness of details
    • Flexibility: new or alternative ways of thinking about a topic; different perspective on a topic
    • Fluency: quantity of responses
    • Originality/creativity/imagination: uniqueness of an idea
  • Curiosity: depth and/or breadth of wondering apparent in ideas
  • Depth: extent to which content reaches beneath simple, surface knowledge; content of ideas is abstract (vs. Concrete) knowledge
  • Difficulty: let the student self-evaluate the extent of the challenge they experienced
  • Efficiency: extent of effort involved in achieving the learning outcome (process and product)
  • Effort: let the student self-evaluate how hard s/he worked
  • Feelings/affective impact: extent to which an idea/product makes you feel a particular way (joy, sorrow, humor, etc.)
  • Incongruity: involves or includes striking inconsistencies (for example: unbreakable glass)
  • Interest inspired by product: this is “in the eye of the beholder” so this criteria is not for self-evaluation; it’s to be used for teacher, peer or expert evaluation.
  • Power/importance/effectiveness: extent to which idea/product achieves its purpose (to convince, to create an atmosphere, etc.)
  • Risk-taking: extent of courage involved in making a guess, pursuing an idea, justifying or defending an idea/position and/or being criticized.
  • Sophistication: features evidence of expertise, depth and authenticity beyond age-level expectations.
  • Style: work has a distinctive flair characteristic of this student’s work.
  • Surprisingness: has unexpected or unpredictable features
  • Uncertainty: a sense of anticipation or suspense
  • Utility: Usefulness