COMP
380-003 Computers &
Society
Spring 2008
Grading
Rubric for Gattaca
Assignment
"A" (excellent;
superior, outstanding, insightful; complete; exceeds minimum
requirement)
An "A" paper is complete and correct. It displays a keen understanding of the assignment as well as a degree of individual creativity. It has a strong introduction that clearly identifies the topic under discussion, along with an overview of the paper as a whole. It clearly adheres to the guidelines of the assignment, presenting detailed, insightful responses to prompts from both of the sections, in which the writer puts forth his/her opinion in a clear, concise manner, and integrates evidence from outside sources in support of his/her argument (citing outside sources where appropriate). The paper is well-developed and organized, clearly addresses two of the posed questions, flows extremely well, and is very easy to follow. It is essentially free of most surface errors (in spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.).
"B" (good paper;
better than minimum requirement)
A "B" paper is complete, for the most part, and correct, revealing an above-average understanding of the assignment. It adheres to the guidelines of the assignment, clearly addressing two of the posed questions. It may have a good introduction. It is a solid paper, but lacks the overall sophistication of the "A" paper. The writer's responses to the prompts are solid, but not consistently detailed or insightful, and the opinions put forth in the paper are not always supported by evidence from outside sources. For the most part, the paper is well-organized and logical. However, there may be a few developmental and/or organizational weaknesses, as well as a few surface errors.
"C" (acceptable;
around the minimum required level)
A "C" paper is partially complete and correct. It follows the guidelines of the assignment, responding to prompts from both sections, but is lacking in detail, and displays a general lack of imagination and insight. The introduction is adequate. Information from outside sources may or may not be used in support of the writer's positions. While the overall structure of the paper is clear, its organization is at times confusing, and the development is somewhat weak. There are numerous surface errors, which although problematic to the point of being periodically confusing, are not crippling.
"D" (unsatisfactory,
below requirement level, definitely defective)
A "D" paper is incomplete and/or significantly incorrect. The paper may contain an introduction, but it fails to either identify the issue at hand or provide an overview of the paper as a whole. The writer may or may not have chosen to respond to prompts from both of the two sections, and his/her responses are wholly lacking in detail and insight. No outside sources are employed in support of the writer's positions. There are clear weaknesses in the development and organization of the paper, and surface errors often conceal the point the writer is trying to make.
"F" (unacceptable)
An "F" paper is fatally flawed. It may or may not respond to two prompts, and if it does, the prompts in question may or may not be from separate sections. If there is an introduction, it is wholly inadequate. The writer's responses tend to be a mixture of platitudes and rants, which are not supported by evidence from outside sources. The overall organization is poor-to-nonexistent, and surface errors are plentiful.
PLUSSES and MINUSES and MIXED grades (such as (A-/B+) may be used for finer- grain letter assignments, and to reflect those that seem to fall between two letter categories or represent a combination. A mixed grade is simply calculated as an average of the two.