iRubric: COM 100 Midterm Essay Test rubric

The essay illustrates poor understanding of the course material by (1) failing to address or incorrectly addressing the relevant content; (2) failing to identify or inaccurately explaining/defining at least 8 concepts/ideas; (3) ignoring or incorrectly explaining key points/claims and the reasoning behind them; and (4) incorrectly or inappropriately using terminology.

The essay illustrates rudimentary understanding of the course material by: (1) mentioning, but not fully explaining, the relevant content; (2) identifying 8-10 of the key concepts/ideas (though failing to fully or accurately explain many of them); (3) using terminology, though sometimes inaccurately or inappropriately; and (4) incorporating some key claims/points, but failing to explain the reasoning behind them (or doing so inaccurately).

The essay illustrates solid understanding of the course material by correctly: (1) addressing most of the relevant content; (2) identifying and explaining 10-12 of the key concepts/ideas; (3) using correct terminology; (4) explaining the reasoning behind most of the key points/claims; and (5) (where necessary or useful) substantiating some points with accurate examples.

The essay illustrates exemplary understanding of the course material by thoroughly and correctly: (1) addressing the relevant content; (2) identifying and explaining at least 12 of the key concepts/ideas; (3) using correct terminology; (4) explaining the reasoning behind key points/claims; and (5) (where necessary or useful) substantiating points with several accurate and original examples.

The essay does not communicate ideas/points clearly due to: (1) inappropriate use of terminology and vague language; (2) reliance on disjointed and incomprehensible thoughts and clauses; and (3) lack of recognizable organization, and so many conventions errors that they hinder comprehension.

The essay is often unclear and difficult to follow due to: (1) some inappropriate terminology and/or vague language; (2) ideas sometimes being fragmented, wondering and/or repetitive; and (3) poor organization, and several errors in conventions.

The essay is mostly clear as a result of: (1) appropriate use of terminology and minimal vagueness; (2) minimal number of tangents and lack of repetition; and (3) fairly good organization, and only 4-6 errors in conventions.

The essay is clear, and concise as a result of: (1) appropriate and precise use of terminology; (2) absence of tangents and coherence of thoughts; and (3) logical organization of ideas and thoughts, and less than 3 errors in conventions.