Written Communication Skills
Overview
Successful communication involves expressing oneself within the conventions of a medium and working in many genres and styles. Communication involves working in many different disciplines and technologies, mixing texts, data, and images. Communication abilities develop incrementally across the curriculum.
| 3. Exceeds Expectations | 2. Meets Expectations | 1. Needs Improvement | 0. Not Demonstrated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audience, Purpose, and Instructions Includes considerations of audience, purpose, and the assignment instructions. |
Demonstrates competence in considering audience, purpose, and the instructions for the assigned tasks(s), including correct format, citation, and documentation in MLA style. | Demonstrates awareness of context, audience, purpose, and the assigned tasks, including formatting in MLA style. | Shows little awareness of context, audience, purpose, and the assigned tasks, including formatting in MLA style. | Shows no awareness. |
| Thesis Includes considerations of thesis as arguable assertion and as a map of essay organization. |
Asserts a specific, arguable thesis that responds to the essay assignment. | Shows competence in how to formulate a thesis statement in the context of the assignment, in how to locate the thesis in the introduction, and in how to use the thesis statement as a promise of essay organization. | Has difficulty in formulating a thesis statement in the context of the assignment, in locating the thesis in the introduction, and in using the thesis statement as a promise of essay organization. | There is no thesis. |
| Content Development Includes considerations of topic sentences, paragraph unity and coherence. |
Uses assertive and specific topic sentences that support the thesis and advance the argument; shapes paragraph discussions with evidence; shows paragraph unity and coherence. | Uses topic sentences to introduce paragraphs; shows paragraph unity by staying on topic; shows paragraph coherence by linking sentences together logically. | Lacks clear topic sentences to introduce paragraphs; lacks paragraph unity and coherence. | There is no use of topic sentences and no paragraph unity and coherence. |
| Sources and Evidence Includes considerations of authoritative sources and logical reasoning. |
Uses relevant and authoritative sources to support ideas; synthesizes multiple sources; shows facility in integrating quotations, using signal phrases, citing and documenting precisely. | Integrates sources into the writer鈥檚 text; shows ability to paraphrase, summarize, and quote sources; cites and documents sources accurately. | Does not integrate outside sources into the text; shows little ability to paraphrase, summarize, and quote sources; does not cite and document sources accurately | There is no evidence of the use of outside sources. |
| Grammar, Mechanics, and Style Includes considerations of conventions of Standard English usage, mechanics, punctuation, and effective sentence structures. |
Shows competence in effective sentence structures, sentence variety, and control of emphasis; demonstrates proficiency in mechanics and punctuation conventions. | Uses language that conveys ideas with clarity in Standard English; shows an understanding of mechanics and punctuation conventions. | The language does not convey ideas with clarity; shows little understanding of mechanics and punctuation conventions. | Demonstrate no evidence of grammar or understanding of mechanics and style. |