Discussion Boards
Alex Neuber
Due 11pm Monday!
DISCUSSION BOARD: GRADING RUBRIC
Due 9/17; 10/15; 11/19
All lectures will be notified prior to the posting of Discussion Board questions. For each question, you willanalyze materials and develop a 400-600 word-response that must be posted by the above due dates. Additionally, you are required to respond to/ comment on a peer’s post, which are due one week after the original responses. Late prompts will not be permitted. These responses serve as replacements to quizzes and, therefore, must demonstrate your comprehension of content and ability to make real-world connections. You are expected to cite to the readings and lecture materials, advance a thesis, and support your thesis with examples. Grammar counts. Grading guidelines follow:
4. Thesis: Easily identifiable, plausible, novel, sophisticated, insightful, crystal clear. Connects well with paper title. Structure: Evident, understandable, appropriate for thesis. Excellent transitions from point to point. Paragraphs support solid topic sentences. Use of evidence & Analysis: Primary source information used to buttress every point with at least one example; examples support thesis. Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the ideas in the assigned readings and critically evaluates/responds to prompt in an analytical, persuasive manner. Work displays critical thinking and avoids simplistic description or summary of information. Mechanics: Sentence structure, grammar, and diction excellent; correct use of punctuation and citation style; minimal to no spelling errors; absolutely no run-on sentences or comma splices. Conforms in every way to format requirements. Creates appropriate college level, academic tone.
3. Thesis: Promising, but may be slightly unclear, or lacking in insight or originality. Structure: Generally clear and appropriate, though may wander occasionally. Use of evidence & Analysis: Examples used to support most points. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the ideas in the assigned reading and critically evaluates/responds to those ideas in an analytical, persuasive manner. Evidence often related to mini-thesis, though links perhaps not very clear. Some description, but more critical thinking. Mechanics: Sentence structure, grammar, and diction strong despite occasional lapses; punctuation and citation style often used correctly. Some (minor) spelling errors; may have one run-on sentence or comma splice. Conforms in every way to format requirements.
2. Thesis: May be unclear (contain many vague terms), appear unoriginal, or offer relatively little that is new. Structure: Generally unclear, often wanders or jumps around. Few or weak transitions, many paragraphs without topic sentences. Use of evidence: Examples used to support some points. Points often lack supporting evidence, or evidence used where inappropriate (often because there may be no clear point). Demonstrates a general understanding of the ideas in the assigned reading and only occasionally critically evaluates/responds to prompt in an analytical, persuasive manner. Even balance between critical thinking and description. Occasionally creates appropriate college level, academic tone, but has some informal language or inappropriate slang. Mechanics: Problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction (usually not major). Some errors in punctuation, citation style, and spelling. May have some run-on sentences or comma splices. Conforms in almost every way to format requirements.
1. Thesis: Difficult to identify at all, may be bland restatement of obvious point. Structure: Unclear, often because thesis is weak or non-existent. Use of evidence & 1. Analysis: Very few or very weak examples. General failure to support statements, or evidence seems to support no statement. Demonstrates a little understanding of (or occasionally misreads) the ideas in the assigned reading and does not critically evaluates/responds to prompt in an analytical, persuasive manner. Very little or very weak attempt to relate evidence to argument; may be no identifiable argument, or no evidence to relate it to. More description than critical thinking; ideas do not flow at all. Simplistic view of topic. Does not create appropriate college level, academic tone, and has informal language or inappropriate slang. Mechanics: Big problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction. Frequent major errors in citation style, punctuation, and spelling.
Overall Discussion-Board Participation (1-4)
Students will also be graded on overall board participation (1-4) in both the first half the semester and the second half the semester. To get a four students will post their initial post early (if people wait to the last minute it’s hard to facilitate discussion), will contribute new ideas to enhance the learning experiences, and will comment on a number of other students posts in a meaningful way. Good, active, reliable and consistent discussion board participation is required to earn a 4. Students who only comment on one or two other students’ posts, or consistently post shortly before the deadline, or make only nominal comments (e.g, a sentence or two saying “I agree, good post…” etc) will receive a 1 or 1.5. In order to facilitate class discussion, people need to post early, so others can comment. Thus, students who post early will be rewarded in this component of the grade.
Best,
Alex