with Dr Cecil S. Keen Distinguishing between an A, B, C, D or F grade is often a difficult task for both the student and the teacher. Having a rubric based upon expected standards will help both the student in preparing an assignment (or even an answer to a question) and the teacher in grading it. Over many years of marking public examinations, university tests and assignments, the following list is helpful in assessing what I believe is in a grade.
D/F paper
- The assignment is late being handed in.
- The terms of the assignment (topics covered, focus of answer, page length) have not been met.
- The student does not show an understanding of the assignment,nor the meaning or purpose of the topic as posed.
- The student does not show any mastery of the material necessary to complete the assignment.
- The assignment handed in lacks any discernible organization,and reads like a 'first draft'.
- The script is hastily prepared, full of mechanical and grammatical errors.
- Stylistically, the assignment is poorly expressed and hard to read.
- No maps, diagrams, or graphical illustrations have been included to give the assignment a spatial, geographical, or dimensional context.
C Paper
- The assignment has been completed on time.
- The assignment has been completed satisfactorily, in that it has addressed topics posed and is of the required length.
- The student shows some understanding of the topic as assigned, but does not understand the material confidently enough to handle the assignment with conviction. At times, the student falls back on reciting or recasting material from text books or class notes in an inappropriate manner.
- The student shows some understanding of the topic as assigned, but does not understand the material confidently enough to handle the assignment with conviction. At times, the student falls back on reciting or recasting material from text books or class notes in an inappropriate manner.
- The student may be making a sincere effort but his/her grasp of the material remains somewhat "shaky" in parts.
- The evidence the student presents is very predictable and suggests little independent thought or investigation.
- There is some discernible attempt at organization, but it doesn't hold up well throughout. Transitions may be bumpy, paragraphing may become arbitrary, the progression of the argument may become hard to follow. Often there will be no clear or consistently pursued thesis statement (expressed or implied) and this will make the paper lack rigor.
- The piece is generally grammatical, but there are significant lapses, so that meaning becomes hard to discern here and there.
- Style is rather flat. There is a predictable and unoriginal choice of diction and sentence structure. Some words are misused.
- Diagrams are included but the student makes no attempt to integrate them into the text and no citation of the authorship(s) is given.
B Paper
- This is a good paper that has been completed on time and clearly answers the question posed by the assignment.
- The paper satisfies the instructor that the student has
understood the material.- The student goes beyond a mere recitation of information that he/she has read or heard, and shows that his information has been internalized. This allows the student to restate ideas clearly and confidently in his/her own words.
- The student has understood the meaning of the assignment and has thought about its implications. This allows the student to make intelligent observations and connections beyond what has been imparted in the textbooks or in the classroom.
- The student introduces relevant and persuasive evidence that shows a personal engagement with the assigned material, and sometimes an ability to locate and integrate appropriate outside sources.
- The paper has a clear organization, showing that the student has worked conscientiously through preliminary drafts. Paragraphs are developed, and new information or a new step in the exposition is conveyed appropriately through a paragraph break. There is a clear structure and clear transitions leading to a logical conclusion from the evidence presented.
- The paper is well presented and clean from a grammatical and mechanical standpoint. It reads smoothly and easily.
- The paper uses language accurately and has some pleasing stylistic touches. A good overall level may be marred by one or two grammatical lapses and patches or imprecise language, but these are clearly just lapses.
- Maps and diagrams have been included and are effectively used to illustrate the text. Citation of the author(s) is given and referenced.
A Paper
- The student takes the assignment and runs with it. The paper takes wings. The professor is surprised, even delighted.
- The professor does not simply satisfy him/herself that the student has completed the assignment but he/she learns something from the student by reading the paper.
- The paper not only shows a mastery of the material presented in class and in textbooks but presents original thought.
- The student has internalized the material to the extent that he/she is able to reflect upon it and to integrate it appropriately with outside sources and with a personal response.
- The paper is well organized. It presents an engaging thesis and pursues it in a structured way, with smooth transitions leading to a logical conclusion.
- Each point is developed with well chosen supporting evidence.
- Evidence cited is often original, showing the writer's independent thought and initiative in seeking out and tracking down outside sources.
- The writing is accurate and at times even elegant. There is attention to nuances of meaning in word choices. In patches at least, the prose sparkles. Sentence structures are engagingly varied. There is attention paid to stylistic detail - an inviting title, an engaging introduction, a satisfying conclusion.
- The use of maps and diagrams forms an integral part of the overall paper. The student may even redraw or combine information from various sources in an original diagram, making reference to this fact in the caption. The diagrams are neat and cartographically pleasing. References are correctly cited and appropriately chosen
- Overall, the paper is a pleasure to read.
