Grading Rubrics
- Laura Lehman (Deactivated)
Undergraduate Writing Rubric
Downloadable/Printable PDF Version
College Writing Grading Rubric for Research Papers (Adapted from Kevin Seidel's Rubric)
A | B | C or lower | D to F below expectations; | Comments | ||
Introduction | - The introduction provides relevant and sufficient context for the main claim (thesis) | - The introduction provides some relevant context for the main claim (thesis) | - The introduction doesn’t provide a relevant context for the main claim (thesis) |
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Main Claim (Thesis) | - The main claim at the end of the intro is contestable, not obvious, and supportable by evidence | - The main claim is poorly phrased or doesn’t meet one of the three criteria: not obvious, contestable, supportable by evidence | - The main claim is poorly phrased and doesn’t meet two or more of the criteria: not obvious, contestable, supportable by evidence |
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Body Paragraphs | - Paragraphs consistently begin or end with a clearly stated point (reason) that supports the main claim. - The body of the paragraph contains sufficient evidence and analysis of that evidence to support the point. - Paragraphs are thoughtfully arranged with smooth transitions between each | - Some paragraphs: - contain too many points, or - leave the point off the page, or - provide too little evidence and/or analysis, or - provide evidence or analysis irrelevant to the point. - are not carefully arranged - begin or end with abrupt transitions | - Most paragraphs: - contain too many points, or - leave the point off the page, or - provide too little evidence and/or analysis, or - provide evidence or analysis irrelevant to the point. - not carefully arranged - begin or end with abrupt transitions |
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Acknowledgment and Response | - At least one paragraph effectively acknowledges and responds to contrary reasons or evidence in your paper | - At least one paragraph attempts to acknowledge and respond to contrary reasons or evidence in your paper | - The paper doesn’t have any attempt to acknowledge and respond to contrary reasons or evidence |
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Integrating Sources | - All sources are clearly cited in the paper and listed in the references, and - All sources are clearly prefaced; quoted, paraphrased or summarized; and analyzed in the body of the essay | - Some sources are not clearly cited in the paper and listed in the references, or - Some sources are not clearly prefaced; quoted, paraphrased or summarized; and analyzed in the body of the essay. | - Most sources are not clearly cited in the paper and listed in the references, and - Most sources are not clearly prefaced; quoted, paraphrased or summarized; or analyzed in the body of the essay |
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Conclusion | - The conclusion does both of the following: - restate or rephrase the main claim, and - develop the consequences mentioned in the introduction; answers the “So what?” question | - The conclusion does one of the following: - restate or rephrase the main claim, - develop the consequences mentioned in the introduction; answers the “So what?” question | - The conclusion does none of the following: - restate or rephrase the main claim, - develop the consequences mentioned in the introduction; answers the “So what?” question |
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Style | - Individual sentences communicate ideas clearly. Sentence structures are varied. | - Individual sentences sometimes do not communicate ideas clearly. Sentence structures are not varied. | ||||
Rubric for Undergraduate Writing-Intensive Courses at EMU
Excellent A | Proficient B | Emerging C | Needs Improvement D or lower | |
Context of and Purpose for Writing Includes consideration of audience, purpose, and circumstances surrounding the writing task(s). | Demonstrates a thorough understanding of
| Demonstrates adequate consideration of
| Demonstrates awareness of
| Demonstrates minimal attention to
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Sources and Evidence Differentiates among data sources those that are pertinent and legitimate to the scholarship of the discipline. | Demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of writing. | Demonstrates consistent use of credible, relevant sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of writing. | Demonstrates an attempt to use credible and/or relevant sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the discipline and genre of the writing. | Demonstrates an attempt to use sources to support ideas in the writing. |
Content Development Produces discipline-specific written communication, reflecting critical thinking in creating content. | Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to show in-depth understanding of the subject, conveying the writer’s critical thinking and voice through the whole work. | Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to explore ideas through the whole work. | Uses appropriate and relevant content to explore ideas through most of the work. | Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop simple ideas in some parts of the work. |
Genre and Disciplinary Conventions Executes the discourse conventions most commonly used in the student’s major disciplines. | Successfully carries out a wide range of conventions of a specific discipline and/or writing task(s), including
| Consistently uses important conventions particular to a specific discipline and/or writing task(s), including
. | Follow expectations appropriate to a specific discipline and/or writing task(s) for basic
| Attempts to use a consistent system for basic organization, presentation, and documentation of sources. |
Style and Mechanics Produces discipline-specific written communication that is clear and communicates meaning. | Uses eloquent language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and simplicity. | Uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity. | Uses language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity. | Uses language that sometimes impedes meaning. |
Rubric based on VALUE Rubric for Written Communication from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (adapted from Old Dominion University’s adaptation of the rubric)
Created by the EMU Writing Committee in November 2023.
Undergraduate Speech Rubric
Downloadable/Printable PDF Version
Speech Rubric: Exploring Voice in Vocation
Exceeds Expectations--3 [6 & 5] | Meets Expectations--2 [4 & 3] | Does not meet Expectations--1 [2 & 1] | |
1. Voice & Delivery | The speaker employs a vocally expressive conversational (extemporaneous) style presents confidently, makes eye contact, and expertly manages her/his energy. | The speaker maintains a conversational (extemporaneous) style, presents confidently, makes eye contact some of the time, and manages her/his energy efficiently, speaking without undue nervousness. | The speaker demonstrates some ability to present in a conversational (extemporaneous) style, without making much eye contact, but nervousness is distracting to speech effectiveness. |
2. Audience Awareness | The speaker exhibits high audience awareness, making the kind of logical, emotional, and persuasive appeals that point to your character, wisdom, and goodwill and are highly convincing for this audience in this setting. | The speaker exhibits audience awareness, making the kind of logical, emotional, and persuasive appeals that point to your character, wisdom, and goodwill and are fairly convincing for this audience in this setting. | The speaker exhibits low audience awareness, making the kind of logical, emotional, and persuasive appeals that point weakly to your character, wisdom, and goodwill and have little power to convince this audience in this setting. |
3. Invention: Determining the topic, collecting evidence, incorporating multiple perspectives | The speaker has presented a topic, highly appropriate to the speech type, using high quality evidence and multiple perspectives that provide a context for the speaker’s purpose. | The speaker has presented a topic appropriate to the speech type, using adequate quality evidence and a few perspectives that provide a context for the speaker’s purpose. | The speaker has presented a topic that may not be appropriate to the speech type, using less than adequate quality evidence and little perspective appropriate to the speaker’s purpose. |
4. Organization (including transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, signposts) | The speaker has masterfully organized the material that the audience finds riveting and is highly appropriate to the speech type and assignment. | The speaker has organized the material that the audience finds interesting and is appropriate to the speech type and assignment. | The speaker has little to no organization of the material for the audience’s interest and may not be appropriate to the speech type and assignment. |
5. Source Integrity (See Information Literacy & Source Integrity criteria in the UG writing rubric.) | The speaker has treated the sources in a responsible way and cited them with integrity both within the speech (including visuals) and within the outline. | The speaker has treated the sources with an average degree of responsibility and mostly cited them with integrity both within the speech (including visuals) and within the outline. | The speaker has treated the sources and citations with little to no responsibility or integrity both within the speech (including visuals) and within the outline. |
6.Visual Support | The speaker uses expertly crafted presentation aids in ways that amplify the speech. | The speaker uses appropriate presentation aids to enhance the speech. | The speaker may use presentation aids that somewhat or do not complement the speech. |
7. Exploration of Vocation (life interest) | The speaker demonstrates a sophisticated level of engagement with a specific issue related to a vocation or passion, making it clear why the speaker is committed to this vocation or passion. | The speaker demonstrates a significant level of engagement with a specific issue related to a vocation or passion, making it clear why the speaker is committed to this vocation or passion. | The speaker demonstrates some or little engagement with a specific issue related to a vocation or passion, leaving the audience with an unclear sense of why the speaker is committed to this vocation or passion. |