Holistic Trait Rubric

Engagement with ideas and issues

Can you see signs of writing as discovery of and engagement with ideas�about self and the world? Do you get a strong sense of the writer’s presence as a thinker in her work? Or is the writer choosing subjects that are well rehearsed by others, dealing with them in a tired way? What are the signs of the writer�s excitement, about writing and about thinking? Does the writer engage in a substantive way with readings that she has incorporated in her work?   1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10*

Can you see signs of writing as discovery of and engagement with ideas�about self and the world�as reflected in the critical examination of specific texts? Do you get a strong sense of the writer’s presence as a thinker in her work even as she brings in voices of informed writers on the subject?

Engagement with rhetorical tasks

Does the text show evidence that the writer understands the expectations that readers have in the beginning, middle, and end of an essay? Do all the parts of the essay come together in a coherent and meaningful way? Does the writer use evidence to effectively and logically support his claims, analyzing or interpreting the evidence as needed?  Is the writer able to engage in tasks such as summary, textual analysis, incorporation of outside sources and evaluation of ideas all within the context of his own argument? Is the structure of the essay appropriate for its purpose and audience?  Does the thesis statement help create a coherent extended argument that brings together diverse and complex ideas into play? In engaging with and developing the thesis statement does the writer harness multiple texts and readings or ways of perceiving the argument? Does the writer demonstrate a conscious and sustained presence of a voice that is distinctive even as the essay brings in several other texts and readings? Does the writer through her essay demonstrate the consciousness of an audience at the receiving end? 2, 3, 5, 11

Textual presentation

Is the writer presenting final versions that meet your expectations for published excellence�no typos, good grammar, etc., and documents that look good collected together into an attractive and well organized portfolio? Are errors of grammar, mechanics, and syntax acceptable or do they interfere with our reading of the texts in the portfolio? Is there evidence that the writer  consciously crafts her sentences?  Does the language used by the writer appear to be appropriate for the kind of essay she is writing? Is the language supple enough to adapt to the differing essays in the portfolio, for example, to the expository essay or the literary criticism and interpretation? Does the writer use MLA with ease and does this facilitate the presentation of her research? 8, 11

Self-reflection

How insightful is the writer about her or his own writing products and processes? How persuasively has she documented her insights with references to her texts?  Has the writer made connections between other courses and the work in 1201/1202? Do you get a sense of the student’s involvement in her own development as a writer and reader?  How self-consciously does the writer engage in the revision process? Does the writer respond to only external guidelines for revision or is there evidence of self-generated revision? If so, how effective is such an awareness in actually making a difference between drafts as demonstrated by the writer in this section?  6

*Numbers following rubrics refer to the Writing Program Outcomes Statements incorporated in the rubric.