Rubric for Asynchronous Online Discussion

Check the Course Schedule for discussion topics, requirements, and due dates. The criteria will below determine your discussion score.

If the discussion requires you to include a summary, these criteria will apply to your summary and determine 50% of your total discussion score:

Summary Criteria	Proficient (A/B)	Adequate (C)	Needs Improvement (D/F)
Summary introduces original text's title and author
Summary introduces relevant information about when and where the original text was published
Summary identifies the original text's thesis and/or main idea
Summary includes enough support for thesis/main idea without being as detailed as a paraphrase
Summary is objective; only the author's opinions and claims are included
Summary meets minimum length requirement or is approximately 1/3 the original text's length
Summary is written in third-person point of view
Summary includes attributions
Summary includes correct MLA in-text citations if the original text's pages are numbered

If your discussion post requires a summary, the criteria below will apply to your post and replies for 50% of your total discussion score.

If your discussion post does not require a summary, the following criteria will apply to your post and replies for 100% of your total discussion score.

Discussion Post and Replies	Proficient (A/B)	Adequate (C)	Needs Improvement (C/D)
Post meets requirements for topic and due date as described in the Course Schedule
Post is detailed and demonstrates thoughtful consideration of the assigned topic
Post reflects your unique perspective on the topic
Post moves the discussion forward by contributing a new insight and/or including a question(s) that engages classmates
Post quotes or cites course materials as appropriate
Replies reflect thoughtful consideration of classmates' posts and respond to specific portions of those posts
Replies move the discussion forward by contributing new insights and/or asking questions that engage classmates
Replies quote or cite course materials as appropriate
Replies are respectful and demonstrate open-mindedness to new or opposing ideas
Post and replies demonstrate your best attempt at correct grammar and mechanics

Tips:

• Quoting the original text is not required, but if you include quotes, make sure they are

  • chosen appropriately (see course materials on quoting for guidance)

  • very short

  • “sandwiched” (see course materials for an explanation)

  • include attributions, quotation marks, and correct MLA in-text citations.

• To decide whether you’ve included enough support for the original text’s thesis/main idea in your summary, ask yourself, “What do readers need to know to fully understand the main idea?” (What readers need to know might include definitions, explanations, examples, or evidence.) The answer to that question should appear in your summary.