Spring 2013 Rubric for Scoring Exam Questions

Rubric for Scoring Answers in Philosophy of Culture and Ethics

1. Clarity – How well-written is the answer?

• 20 (A) – Very clear and easy to follow sentences, organized paragraphs, transitional phrases, careful and precise emphasis on key ideas, with subordination of minor points. Terminology used where appropriate. Not wordy.

• 15 (B) – Clear expression, but some awkward or hard to follow phrases or sentences. Connections among ideas not always easily inferred from writing. Key ideas expressed, but not always directly or efficiently.

• 10 (C) – Writing is hard to follow, sentence structure poor or even incomplete. Not much use of appropriate terminology.

2. Content – Does the answer show a command of subject matter and critical reflection?

• 50 (A) – Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of subject matter relevant to the question. Goes well beyond key phrases, retrieving content and ideas from readings, not just class notes. Uses terms in a way that shows their meaning. Critical reflection (if applicable) shows sensitivity to nuances of argument in both original authors and student perspectives. Shows awareness of counter-arguments and qualifications to arguments.

• 40 (B) – Correctly identifies basic ideas relevant to the question. Sticks primarily to phrases and concepts used in class. Concepts accurately identified for the most part, but only sometimes used in a way that shows their meaning. Little use of reading material. Critical reflection (if applicable) identifies basic arguments by main reasons and some argument structure.

• 30 (C) – Refers to ideas relevant to the questions, often indirectly or without using terminology from class discussion or reading. Critical reflection (if applicable) identifies arguments more by general ideas that conclusions and reasoning.

3. Completeness – Does the answer completely address all parts of the question?

• 30 (A) – Addresses all parts of the question including, if applicable, critical reflection.

• 25 (B) – Addresses most parts of the questions but omits some parts.

• 20 (C) – Only addresses part of the question, omitting, for example critical reflection (if applicable) or a major part of an explanation, theory or concept.