SEED Guide

3.  Aligning your teaching with the proposed SEED Grading Rubric

The SEED Grading Rubric is designed for simultaneous learning and assessment, just as language learners have become increasingly familiar with self-assessment for levels A1-A2-B1-B2-C1-C2 (CEFR CoV 2018).

Discussing and debating the objectives will contribute to motivation and direction when you aim for your students to actively engage in learning activities. Be sure to share the SEED Grading Rubric and make time in class for questions and answers that improve understanding of authentic assessment. The rubric can also be a source of advance learning, explanation, and stimulus as students apply the rubric to their own work and possibly in other areas where they are pursuing innovation and excellence.

Note the scale from zero to three (top row) recognizes zero (0) as the total absence of a component of the grading rubric, which is especially relevant for teams that have not yet developed that part of their proposal. Level zero in each area is characterized by terms such as lack of, flawed, insufficient, missing, limited, and not addressed. In planning the lesson, you could consider the value of allowing teams to prepare a 2.0 follow-up version after their project presentations in an attempt to promote improvement and more holistic learning in a successful error culture.

The scaled assessment above zero, from one to three (1-3), recognizes the increasing levels of success in the areas of assessment (left column) in seven areas. The SEED Grading Rubric includes assessment of the risk-taking and boundary crossing required to engage in exploring new areas, divided to account for successful teamwork and communication in identification, coordination, reflection, and transformation as follows:

✅ Risk-taking: Identification and Reflection

Key entrepreneurship issues precisely articulated. Deep understanding of personal and group learning.

✅ Boundary crossing: Coordination and Transformation

Diverse boundaries, coordinated and transformed; coordinated collaboration plans; learning applied to real-world scenarios with innovative thinking and adaptability.

These approaches to sustainability maintain a teaching focus on “stimulating students to go through boundary-crossing learning processes critical for getting a grip on the unpredictable future" (Gulikers and Oonk 2019).

Beyond the assessment of the risk-taking and boundary crossing, the SEED Grading Rubric reflects the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship for a sustainable future, shown here with maximum assessment levels:

✅ Feasibility

Well-thought-out and feasible solutions proposed, considering potential obstacles and practical implementation.

✅ Market potential

Strong analysis of the target market (including size and characteristics) and market potential for the proposed solution.

✅ Triple Bottom Line (3BL or TBL)

People, Planet, and Profit: All three bottom lines were addressed with thorough and well-researched analysis.

✅ Addressing and solving the challenge

Comprehensive and insightful analysis of challenge-specific metrics directly related to the presented solution to the sustainability challenge.

✅ Novelty

Highly original: Demonstrates a fresh perspective.

As a final consideration of assessment for your SEED course, lifelong learning means that teachers might want to encourage students to reflect on the course and module activities and how they can apply the skills and knowledge they gained in future real-life situations. This could take the form of a final reflection on an exam or as an assignment for the students’ progressive portfolios.