Learning Science · A goal and evidence of progress
Clear criteria and examples of successful work
Make success criteria usable by connecting them to examples, contrasts and revision decisions.
Use the examples to connect this lesson with the earlier topics. No specialist equipment is needed.
Back to the chapterAfter reading, you can
- Write specific criteria
- Use contrasting examples to interpret a standard
Make “good” visible
An instruction to write a good explanation leaves learners guessing. For explaining a plant-watering decision, useful criteria might include naming the observed soil condition, stating the proposed action and connecting the action to the plant’s needs. Criteria describe features of successful work; they should help someone choose a revision.
A criterion is not a checklist of decorative features. A long explanation can still lack a causal link. A short explanation can be excellent when it gives the right reason clearly. Select features connected to the purpose and avoid rewarding length or technical words merely because they are easy to notice.
Compare examples
Show two responses: “Water it because it needs water” and “The soil below the surface is dry, so watering now will supply moisture to the roots.” Ask which better connects evidence and action, and why. The contrast makes the criterion interpretable.
Use more than one successful example when possible. Otherwise a learner may copy the appearance of a single model while missing the underlying standard. Discuss a borderline case too: an explanation may identify the observation correctly but recommend an inappropriate action.
| Response | Evidence named | Link to the action |
|---|---|---|
| Water it because it needs water | No observation is supplied | Repeats the conclusion |
| The soil below the surface is dry; watering supplies moisture to the roots | Observed dry soil below the surface | Connects the observation with the proposed action |
Use criteria during the work
Before writing, identify what evidence is needed. During revision, locate a missing connection and repair it. Afterward, check that the criterion did not encourage an unintended shortcut. Criteria can be refined when they fail to capture quality, but changes should be explained so learners know what is being judged.
Criteria should also allow justified variation. A summary might use a sentence, a short spoken explanation or an accessible diagram when the target is the argument’s meaning. If written expression is itself part of the goal, state that explicitly and provide suitable instruction. A hidden format standard makes feedback difficult to interpret.
Worked example
A usable criterion for a graph
Which is more useful for judging a graph: “neat” or a criterion about quantities, units and accurate plotted values?
- State the communication purpose: the reader must identify the quantities and compare the data.
- Inspect axis quantities and units, agreement with the values and the legibility needed for that comparison.
- Contrast a tidy graph missing a unit with a plain accurately labelled graph; explain why the missing unit changes interpretation.
A criterion about interpretable, accurate information guides a concrete revision. Appearance matters when it supports communication, while neatness alone does not establish correctness.
Try it yourself
Think through each question before opening the answer.
A criterion says “include five facts.” What could go wrong?
Show the answer and reasoning
The learner may add irrelevant facts to reach the count. A better criterion concerns relevant evidence and its connection to the explanation.
A feature count can reward irrelevant additions. A criterion about the evidence and its link to the claim makes relevance part of the judgment.
Why show different successful responses?
Show the answer and reasoning
They help distinguish the shared principle of quality from one model’s wording or format.
Varying successful examples makes the underlying standard visible. Otherwise learners may copy one model’s wording or decoration as if those were the criterion.
Compare “Water it because it needs water” with a response using dry soil as evidence. What revision does the criterion require?
Show the answer and reasoning
Connect an actual observation with the proposed action and its reason.
The first repeats the conclusion; the second begins to show an evidence–action link. Also check that the action is suitable for the plant and conditions, rather than treating one sentence as universal advice.
What to carry forward
- Criteria must guide a decision.
- Compare examples and explain the contrast.
- Judge features that serve the purpose.
References
Sources supporting the explanations and learning checks in this lesson.