Rubrics

General Task Rubric

This rubric is one that I generally use for all low-stakes course assignments.  Feel free to adapt as desired.

Criteria Ratings Pts
Description of criterion
Submission meets or exceeds assignment tasks. Generally well edited. Answers all questions fully and completely.

5 pts

Submission meets basic assignment tasks. Submission answers all or most questions/tasks fully, but could use further elaboration for clarity. May not be well edited.

3.75 pts

Submission doesn’t meet basic assignment tasks, though attempts a response to the prompt. May not be well edited. May only answer a portion of the questions or be significantly short of length requirements.

2.5 pts

Submission meets no assignment tasks. May be plagiarized.

0 pts

5 pts
Total Points: 5

Discussion Forum Rubric

Discussion Rubric
Discussion Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts

Posting Requirements

view longer description
Full Marks

5 pts

High Partial Credit

4 pts

Partial Credit

3 pts

Low Partial Credit

2 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts

Content Requirements

view longer description
Full Marks

5 pts

High Partial Credit

4 pts

Partial Credit

3 pts

Low Partial Credit

2 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts
Total Points: 10

Posting Requirements longer description: Original post meets word length requirements. Number of required replies met, each meeting word length requirements.

Content Requirements longer description: Posting addresses all questions asked fully, and includes material from supplemental reading if required. Response(s) to classmates expand, question, or build upon the original ideas contained in the post.

Source Evaluation Essay Rubric

Source Evaluation Essay Rubric
Source Evaluation Essay Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
Thesis & Evidence
Original, clear, focused, debatable well-supported thesis. Specific examples included for support. Claims for credibility and usefulness are fully developed.

16 pts

Original, debatable, sufficiently supported thesis. Examples included for support. Claims for credibility and usefulness are developed.

12 pts

Identifiable main idea that is generally supported. Some examples included, though potentially vague or abstract. Claims for credibility and usefulness are established but need further development.

8 pts

Identifiable main idea that is not well supported or does not match most of essay content. Some examples provided, but of a vague, abstract nature. Missing claims for either credibility or usefulness.

4 pts

Missing or unsupported thesis. Little to no examples for support. No established claims for either credibility nor usefulness.

0 pts

16 pts
Organization
logical, coherent, unified organization with paragraphs used effectively and clear transitions.

16 pts

coherent organization that might need some rearrangement or further paragraph division; effective transitions

12 pts

generally organized essay flow but not all paragraphs centered around topic idea; some evidence of transitions

8 pts

essay structure impedes effective communication of ideas; little evidence of transitions

4 pts

little or no evidence of essay organization or development. No transitional elements used.

0 pts

16 pts
Research Skills
Balanced, authoritative sources; effectively integrated outside sources. High-quality research is used to provide more insight into primary source being evaluated.

16 pts

Effective, authoritative sources, sufficiently integrated into rest of essay. Research is used to provide more insight into primary source being evaluated.

12 pts

Some sources appropriately used for assignment; source content not well integrated into essay text. Minimal research is used to provide context to primary source being evaluated.

8 pts

Insufficient sources used for assignment and/or sources are of poor quality for academic purposes. Not well integrated into surrounding text. Does not provide any additional research to provide context for source being evaluated.

4 pts

no sources used, or sources used inappropriately/unethically. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)

0 pts

16 pts
Style, Editing, & Proofreading
Strategically varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is tailored to writing context. No appreciable errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar.

16 pts

Varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is appropriate to writing context. Minor mechanical errors that do not interfere with reader’s understanding.

12 pts

Some sentence variety. Basic vocabulary. Generally well-edited, with one or two consistent patterns of error.

8 pts

Little variety in sentence structure. Basic or inappropriate vocabulary. Grammatical errors may interfere with readers’ understanding.

4 pts

Little to no sentence variety. Frequently inappropriate vocabulary. Little evidence of proofreading; errors impede meaning.

0 pts

16 pts
Audience Appropriateness
Arguments are tailored to meet the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated and adequately responded to. Effective level of formality.

16 pts

Arguments are well-founded, but may not fully consider the interests of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated. Appropriate level of formality.

12 pts

Arguments don’t consider the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are not fully anticipated. Appropriate formality for writing context, though not always targeted to specific audience.

8 pts

Arguments are not fully developed or fail to meet the needs of the target audience. Lack of appropriate formality.

4 pts

Target audience not considered, and would not be affected by contents presented here. Too informal for context.

0 pts

16 pts
Citations & Formatting
In-text citations and References page follow APA specifications. Pages are formatted using APA standards.

10 pts

In-text citations and References page follow APA specifications, with some small but consistent errors. Pages are formatted using APA standards.

7 pts

In-text citations and References page generally follow APA specifications, with some consistent errors. Pages are formatted using APA standards, possibly with some error.

5 pts

Is missing either in-text citation or References page, or citations do not follow APA guidelines. Page formatting does not follow APA guidelines.

2 pts

No documentation of sources included. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)

0 pts

10 pts
Length
Essay meets or exceeds 500 minimum words.

10 pts

Essay close to meeting 500 word requirement.

5 pts

Essay significantly short of 500 word requirement.

0 pts

10 pts
Total Points: 10

Outline Rubric

Outline Rubric
Outline Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
The outline has a strong controlling idea/thesis statement that guides the development of the entire piece of writing
Full Marks

5 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts
The outline has three or more main points that connect to the controlling idea.
Full Marks

5 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts
The outline uses college-level research sources to support the claims made in the outline.
Full Marks

5 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts
The outline has a considered order (chronological order, spatial order, or order of importance) that aids to the development of the argument.
Full Marks

5 pts

No Marks

0 pts

5 pts
In the body of the outline, the research used is documented using correct APA or MLA parenthetical citation.
Full Marks

10 pts

No Marks

0 pts

10 pts
On a seperate page at the end of the outline, the research used is cited in an accurately formatted Works Cited/Reference Page
Full Marks

10 pts

No Marks

0 pts

10 pts
Total Points: 40

Annotated Bibliography Rubric

Annotated Bibliography Rubric
Annotated Bibliography Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
Citations
Citations exactly follow MLA guidelines for bibliographic entries. They will need few to no changes in order to be ready for use in the final research essay.

40 pts

Citations closely follow MLA guidelines. They will need some changes before they are ready for the final research essay.

33 pts

Citations follow MLA guidelines, but are missing key elements and/or have elements out of order. They will need editing before they are ready for the final research essay.

26 pts

Citations do not follow MLA guidelines at all, though they do have some sense of formatting. They will need to be heavily edited before they are ready for the final research essay.

19 pts

Citations are incomplete or entirely missing.

0 pts

40 pts
Annotation Contents
Paragraphs following citations are richly detailed, giving a clear summary of the source along with brief but thorough explanations regarding the source’s validity and usefulness to your research goals. Expertly edited and proofread content.

40 pts

Paragraphs following citations are detailed, giving a summary of the source along with some explanations regarding the source’s validity and usefulness to your research goals. Edited and proofread content, perhaps with some minor errors.

33 pts

Paragraphs following citations are detailed but may be missing one of the following: summary/ validity/ usefulness. Edited content, though containing multiple errors.

26 pts

Paragraphs following citations are extremely brief and don’t convey how the sources fit in with your research project. No sense of editing or proofreading before submission; errors may lead to misunderstanding or confusion.

19 pts

Paragraphs are extremely short or nonexistant.

0 pts

40 pts
Required Number & Kinds of Sources
Bibliography contains at least 12 sources; of these at least 5 are from the library, at least 2 are book-length; at least 1 is an online media source; at least 2 contain opinions that disagree with your own.

10 pts

Bibliography contains at least 12 sources; of these at least 5 are from the library, at least 2 are book-length; at least 1 is an online media source. If there are two that contain opinions contradictory to your own, they are not clearly marked in the bibliography and so not immediately obvious to your reader.

7 pts

Bibliography contains at least 12 sources; may be missing 1 or 2 of the required kinds of sources from the assignment.

5 pts

Bibliography contains at least 8 sources and/or may be missing 2-3 specific kinds of sources from the assignment.

2 pts

Bibliography contains fewer than 8 sources.

0 pts

10 pts
Formatting
Document is formatted exactly by MLA guidelines. Citations are alphabetized and use hanging indent.

10 pts

Document is formatted by MLA guidelines, perhaps with one or two minor errors. Citations are alphabetized and use hanging indent.

7 pts

Document is formatted by MLA guidelines, though with errors. Citations may not be alphabetized, and/or do use hanging indent.

5 pts

Document is not formatted using MLA guidelines. Citations are not alphabetized, and do use hanging indent.

2 pts

No specific page formatting is used at all.

0 pts

10 pts
Total Points: 100

2000 Word Draft & Peer Review

2000 Word Draft & Peer Review
2000 Word Draft & Peer Review
Criteria Ratings Pts
Draft submitted is 2000+ words long
Full Marks

20 pts

No Marks

0 pts

20 pts
Peer Review is thorough and complete for all group members who posted on time
Full Marks

30 pts

Rating Description

20 pts

Rating Description

10 pts

No Marks

0 pts

30 pts
Total Points: 50

Final Draft Research Essay Rubric

Final Research Essay Rubric
Final Research Essay Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
Thesis & Evidence
Original, clear, focused, debatable well-supported thesis. Specific examples included for support. Uses targeted appeals to logic, emotion, and/or ethics as appropriate to be persuasive.

40 pts

Original, debatable, sufficiently supported thesis. Examples included for support. Uses appeals to logic, emotion, and/or ethics as appropriate to be persuasive.

30 pts

Identifiable main idea that is generally supported. Some examples included, though potentially vague or abstract. Uses some appeals to logic, emotion, and/or ethics to be persuasive, though perhaps not most appropriate for circumstances.

20 pts

Identifiable main idea that is not well supported or does not match most of essay content. Some examples provided, but of a vague, abstract nature. Uses few to no appeals to logic, emotion, and/or ethics as appropriate to be persuasive.

10 pts

Missing or unsupported thesis. Little to no examples for support. No appeals to logic, emotion, and/or ethics as appropriate to be persuasive.

0 pts

40 pts
Organization
logical, coherent, unified organization with paragraphs used effectively and clear transitions.

35 pts

coherent organization that might need some rearrangement or further paragraph division; effective transitions

27 pts

generally organized essay flow but not all paragraphs centered around topic idea; some evidence of transitions

17 pts

essay structure impedes effective communication of ideas; little evidence of transitions

9 pts

little or no evidence of essay organization or development. No transitional elements used.

0 pts

35 pts
Research Skills
Balanced, authoritative sources; effectively integrated outside sources. It’s evident that multiple sources were consulted in order to provide the highest-quality information to support thesis.

35 pts

Effective, authoritative sources, sufficiently integrated into rest of essay. Evident that multiple sources were consulted in order to provide information to support thesis.

27 pts

Some sources appropriately used for assignment; source content not well integrated into essay text. Not evident that multiple sources were consulted in addition to those which actually appear in the text.

17 pts

Insufficient sources used for assignment and/or sources are of poor quality for academic purposes. Not well integrated into surrounding text. No evidence of research done beyond the quotes/paraphrases used in the body of the essay.

9 pts

no sources used, or sources used inappropriately/unethically. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)

0 pts

35 pts
Style, Editing & Proofreading
Strategically varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is tailored to writing context. No appreciable errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar.

35 pts

Varied sentence structure. Vocabulary is appropriate to writing context. Minimal mechanical errors that do not interfere with reader’s understanding.

27 pts

Some sentence variety. Basic vocabulary. Generally well-edited, with one or two consistent patterns of error.

18 pts

Little variety in sentence structure. Basic or inappropriate vocabulary. Grammatical errors may interfere with readers’ understanding.

9 pts

Little to no sentence variety. Frequently inappropriate vocabulary. Little evidence of proofreading; errors impede meaning.

0 pts

35 pts
Audience Appropriateness
Arguments are tailored to meet the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated and adequately responded to. Effective level of formality.

35 pts

Arguments are well-founded, but may not fully consider the interests of the target audience. Counterarguments are anticipated. Appropriate level of formality.

27 pts

Arguments don’t consider the needs of the target audience. Counterarguments are not fully anticipated. Appropriate formality for writing context, though not always targeted to specific audience.

17 pts

Arguments are not fully developed or fail to meet the needs of the target audience. Lack of appropriate formality.

9 pts

Target audience not considered, and would not be affected by contents presented here. Too informal for context.

0 pts

35 pts
Citations & Formatting
In-text citations and Works Cited page follow MLA specifications consistently. Pages are formatted precisely using MLA standards.

25 pts

In-text citations and Works Cited page follow MLA specifications, with some small but consistent errors. Pages are formatted using MLA standards.

19 pts

In-text citations and Works Cited page generally follow MLA specifications, with some consistent errors. Pages are formatted using MLA standards, possibly with some error.

12 pts

Is missing either in-text citation or Works Cited page, or citations do not follow MLA guidelines consistently. Page formatting does not follow MLA guidelines.

6 pts

No documentation of sources included. (This will result in a 0 on the paper.)

0 pts

25 pts
Length
Essay meets or exceeds 2500 minimum words.

20 pts

Essay close to meeting 2500 word requirement.

10 pts

Essay significantly short of 2500 word requirement.

0 pts

20 pts
Source Requirements
Uses 7 or more high-quality sources to build essay content. Includes at least one chart/table/graph and at least one picture/drawing/cartoon.

25 pts

Uses 7 sources, but does not include either a chart/table/graph or picture/drawing/cartoon.

13 pts

Uses 5-6 sources to build essay content. Is missing one or more visual component.

7 pts

Uses fewer than 5 sources, and might be missing one or both visual component(s).

0 pts

25 pts
Total Points: 250