- General Rubrics
Three rubrics are particularly helpful for work with this class—two from the American Association of Colleges and Universities and one writing rubric designed by Smallman and Brown. The VALUES rubric project was completed in 2010, and full information can be found on the AAC&U website (value@aacu.org ). This project created 16 rubrics all of which are available for now charge at the following website at AACU: https://www.aacu.org/value-rubrics.
Online Quiz: the following rubric is designed to be used for grading purposes for online quizzes that entail a short essay response.
Online Quiz Rubric
Student Name: _______________________________________________
Content and Argument | Writing and Organization | Originality and Insight |
Excellent
The response is based on a careful reading of the articles, or viewing of the video. The writer supports their argument with well-chosen examples and detail from that week’s assigned materials. |
Excellent
The response is well-organized, flows logically, and clearly responds to the question. The post is so well written and engaging that it is a pleasure to read. The response is two to three paragraphs in length and fully addresses the question. |
Excellent
The response is original and demonstrates insight. The answer displays creativity and independent thought. The writer not only responds to the question, but also relates the material to broader issues, or other material from the course. |
Good
The writer has demonstrated sufficient understanding of the course materials and the question. The writer uses specific examples and detail to support their argument. |
Good
The essay is well organized and flows logically. There is sufficient content to fully answer the question. |
Good
The essay shows good insight and creativity. |
Sufficient
The writer generally shows their careful reading/viewing of the course material, although at times they could have used more detail and examples to support their argument. |
Sufficient
The essay could have been more tightly organized. At times it wanders too far from the question, or the flow from one paragraph to the next is unclear. They may not have responded directly to the question. |
Sufficient
While the essay has some originality and insight, at points it is overly vague or generalized. |
Needs Improvement
The response does not draw on sufficient examples and details from the course materials. They do not demonstrate a reflective and careful reading or viewing of the class material. There are errors in their discussion of theory. The response may only be a single paragraph in length. |
Needs Improvement
The argument does not flow well. Spelling errors or grammar mistakes distract the reader. The response does not fully address the question before considering other material. The response may be somewhat brief. |
Needs Improvement
The essay does not demonstrate sufficient and thoughtful reflection. |
Weak
The essay fails to demonstrate the students understanding of either the theory involved, or the specific material covered. The writer has not demonstrated their careful reading or viewing of the course content. The response lacks critical supporting detail, and does not demonstrate their mastery of the content. The response is much briefer than the two to three paragraphs required. |
Weak
The response lacks organization, and does not clearly address the question. The wording is so awkward that it is sometimes distracts from their argument. The response is too brief to fully answer the question, perhaps only a few sentences. The response may consist largely of quotes from the work with little interpretation. |
Weak
There is little evidence that the student thought deeply about the course material. The response often relies on generalities or too heavily on the student’s personal experience. |
Grading:
A = All excellent A- = Mostly excellent B/B+ = Mostly Good C+/B- = Good with some sufficient C or below = Mostly Sufficient to Needs Improvement D or below= Mostly Weak or Needs Improvement |
Response Paper Rubric:
Excellent | Good | Incomplete | |
Argument | The response paper makes a clear argument regarding the most important theme, based on careful thought and reasoning. The paper is original and insightful. | The response paper makes a clear argument, but it might have been more fully developed at points, or it contains some contradictions or weak points. | Lacks a clear argument and focus. There is little insight or originality in the argument. |
Content | Demonstrates a good understanding of all the relevant course materials related to the question, including the reading, lectures, class discussion and (when appropriate) videos. Includes several well-chosen examples from the course materials to illustrate the argument and key concepts. | Generally demonstrates a good understanding of the materials, but a few points are not clear or lack specific examples. | Several key concepts are unclearly stated or omitted. Includes only a few examples or the examples are not well chosen, and do not show a clear understanding of the course content. |
Writing | Clearly written and well-edited for grammar and spelling, including complete sentences. Presented in your own words. | Mostly well-written with a few errors in grammar or spelling. | Contains several errors or style issues that detract from the clarity and readability of the essay. |
Organization | Well-organized and easy to follow, with an introduction and conclusion. | Mostly well-organized but could be improved with revision to make the argument clearer to the reader. At times the paper could have been more tightly written. | The essay lacks a clear organization, making the argument difficult to follow. Lacks an introduction and/or conclusion, or the introduction and/or conclusion are overly brief and do not clearly state the argument and summarize the key points. |
Grading:
A = All excellent A- = Mostly excellent B/B+ = Mostly Good C+/B- = Good with some incomplete C or below = incomplete in more than one area |
Midterm Exam Rubric:
This midterm exam entails two term definitions and one essay question, all to be written in a two hour period.
INTL 201: Exam Scoring Rubric
Student Name: _______________________________________________
Each term definition is worth ten points, for a total of twenty points.
Term One:
Clearly defines term 5 | Explains significance 3 | Style/Clarity/detail 2 |
|
Term Two:
Clearly defines term 5 | Explains significance 3 | Style/Clarity/detail 2 |
|
The essay question is worth sixty points.
Supporting Detail | Organization | Content |
Excellent
The question is answered drawing on supporting material from all aspects of the class as appropriate (reading, lecture, videos) |
Excellent
The essay is well-organized, flows logically, and has an introductory and concluding paragraph |
Excellent
All dimensions of the question are covered with excellent insight and thoughtfulness. . |
Good
The question is answered drawing on most of the relevant supporting material. |
Good
The essay is well organized and flows logically, but lacks a clear beginning or conclusion |
Good
All dimensions of question covered with good insight and thoughtfulness |
Sufficient
The question is answered drawing on most of the supporting materials, but some important material is omitted. |
Sufficient
The essay has some organization, but sometimes jumps from one topic to the next. There is no clear beginning or conclusion |
Sufficient
Overall, the student shows sufficient insight and reflection. |
Needs Improvement
The question is answered with some supporting material, but numerous important details or examples are missing. |
Needs Improvement
The essay sometimes rambles. The transition from one section to the next is not always clear. The essay lacks an introduction or conclusion |
Needs Improvement
The essay does not show much thought and understanding of the material. There may be errors in the content. |
Weak
The essay lacks critical supporting detail or information from the appropriate course materials. The student does not demonstrate that they have understood relevant material from the reading or the lectures. |
Weak
The essay lacks organization, and jumps from one topic to the next without any coherence. There is no sense of a thesis uniting the material in the essay. |
Weak
The question was not adequately addressed. There may be significant mistakes in the essay’s discussion of the content, or major points missed. |
Grading:
A = All excellent A- = Mostly excellent B/B+ = Mostly Good C+/B- = Good with some sufficient C or below = Mostly Sufficient to Needs Improvement D or below= Mostly Weak or Needs Improvement |
Book Review Rubric
Book Review Rubric: Brazilian history text
Student Name: _______________________________________________
Content | Writing and Organization | Originality and Insight |
Excellent
The writer demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the book. Their summary of the work is succinct but thoughtful. The body of their review clearly outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the text. The writer supports their arguments with specific detail. |
Excellent
The essay is well-organized, flows logically, and has an introductory and concluding paragraph. The paper is free from both grammar and spelling mistakes. |
Excellent
The essay is original and demonstrates insight. The student has a number of new ideas or arguments. The essay’s creativity leads the reader take a fresh perspective on the book. |
Good
The writer has demonstrated sufficient understanding of the book and its thesis. The writer uses specific examples and detail to support their argument. |
Good
The essay is well organized and flows logically, but may lack a strong beginning or conclusion. The organization could have been tighter, although their argument is clear. There are few grammar and spelling mistakes. |
Good
The essay shows insight and creativity. The summary of the book does not overshadow the analysis. |
Sufficient
The writer generally shows their understanding of the book, although at times they could have used more detail and demonstrated a great mastery of the text. They could have more clearly described the strengths and weaknesses of the book. |
Sufficient
The essay has some organization, but sometimes jumps from one topic to the next. There is no clear beginning or conclusion. There are frequent grammar or spelling mistakes. |
Sufficient
While the essay has some originality and insight, at times it is redundant or uninteresting. They spend too much time in the review summarizing the text. |
Needs Improvement
The essay does not convincingly demonstrate the student’s mastery of the books content and the material discussed. Key detail is sometimes omitted, or there are errors in their discussion of the work. |
Needs Improvement
The essay sometimes rambles. The transition from one section to the next is not always clear, or the argument does not flow well. The essay lacks an introduction or conclusion. There are significant grammar and spelling mistakes. |
Needs Improvement
The essay has few examples of original arguments or insight. The essay does not demonstrate thoughtful reflection. The summary of the text is extensive. |
Weak
The essay fails to demonstrate the students understanding of the book’s content. The paper lacks critical supporting detail, or fails to demonstrate that they have carefully read the text. |
Weak
The essay lacks organization, and jumps from one topic to the next without any coherence. The essay is either too brief to adequately cover the topic, or too disorganized. The grammar and spelling mistakes are so significant that they detract from the argument. |
Weak
The paper lacks original thought or new ideas. There is little or no evidence of reflection or fresh insight. The analysis is overshadowed by summary of the text. |
Grading:
A = All excellent A- = Mostly excellent B/B+ = Mostly Good C+/B- = Good with some sufficient C or below = Mostly Sufficient to Needs Improvement D or below= Mostly Weak or Needs Improvement |
Remember: students may not use material from another paper that they have written.