We’re at the semester’s midpoint now. First, congratulations to all of you who are still here. Online courses are challenging, even if students have chosen that method, and many of you are taking online courses because that’s the only option. So give yourself a pat on the back for completing half of the course work.
We’ve also had the Early Alert checks: most of you are doing fine. If you’re not satisfied with your current status, the coming weeks will be your last chance to boost your grade by completing homework assignments. I’ll finish grading your WP Ones this week (sorry for the delay), and that will let you know if you need to adjust your revision process for WP Two.
When you view WP One’s grade, you’ll see an attached rubric. The rubric is divided into sections covering aspects of the assignment. These cover how well the paper accomplishes the assignment task, how well it signals its structure, how well it’s developed, and how well it meets formatting and editing standards. These aspects are often called focus, organization, development, and editing (or maybe grammar). Most writing instructors will use some version of these criteria to evaluate your work. They ask important questions about your writing: Are you performing the assignment task? Are you offering a coherent piece of writing that flows well? Have you provided enough description, examples, and/or evidence in the draft? Have you met the disciplinary standards for style and correctness?
On the rubric sheet I’ll use checks to highlight areas where the paper is successful and X’s to show areas that need more work. Keep your overall score in mind as you read these checks and X’s. For example, if I mark an X in a criterion about “examples” and you think, “But I do have examples,” look at your score. If it’s a B+ or similar score, I most likely recognized your examples, but those are keeping your paper from reaching an A level. As always, if anything seems unclear, send me an email and ask me questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. Also, remember that any grade you receive is an evaluation of work that you’ve performed (or haven’t performed) in the course, and it’s absolutely not a judgment of who you are. If you truly give a draft your best effort and it earns a C, you should be happy and not disappointed. You’ve learned, and you will continue to learn. Stay focused for the second half of the course to ensure that your semester will be a successful one.
