STUDENT WRITING Writing in Technical Fields Developing a Strategy for Evaluation

When developing a method for evaluating student writing, you may want to incorporate the following components in your grading rubric:
The content of the writing

• Was the student thorough with her explanations?
• Did the student complete the appropriate background reading/research?
• Did the student argue his points logically?
• Was the content effectively organized?

The clarity of the writing

• Did students communicate their ideas effectively?
• Did the student proofread the paper?
• Did the student write concisely and directly?
• Did the student cite all sources?

Again, the students are most likely to succeed in each of these aspects of their writing if they have received substantive feedback at each major step in the project.