CSCE 481: Seminar

Spring 2017

Long Writing Assignments

There are three longer written assignments required for this class. The details of each assignment are linked below, but several aspects will be common among all assignments.

Deadlines

You are encouraged to submit your assignments earlier if you can. These deadlines were selected to give you an opportunity to get feedback and revise the assignments.
You must complete a revision of at least one of these writing assignments, even if the initial assignment received a passing score! If you do not turn in a revision for at least one of these assignments, you will not pass that assignment, and thus will not pass the class. The deadlines are set so that you will have an opportunity to get feedback and revise your assignments. Turning in assignments early is encouraged, though - earlier turnins may give you a chance to revise work more quickly. Recall that May 2nd is the final date on which revisions can be turned in.

Format

For all assignments, you should assume that standard margins (0.75 to 1 inch on each side, and 0.75 to 1.5 inches top and bottom), standard font sizes (10-12 point), single spacing, and reasonable fonts (e.g. Times New Roman) should be used. These may vary, of course, for headings, emphasis, etc. References do not count toward or against page limits.

Cover Sheet

You are to include a cover page with the following information. This page is not considered part of the report itself.

Your name: Place this at the top of the page in a large font. Use the format Last name, First name.
The course number (CSCE 481) and semester (Spring 2017)
The date you are submitting the assignment
Which assignment you are turning in (e.g. Culture Report 1...3)
Which version of the document you are turning in. Your initial version is version 1. Your first revision is version 2.
The statement: "This work represents my individual work, and I have listed the sources that I have consulted. I have not received assistance that would violate the letter or spirit of the collaboration guidelines for this assignment." or An explanation of why you cannot make the above statement for this work. You should be clear about why you cannot do so.
A list of any sources you used in the preparation of the report that are not cited in the report bibliography. You do not need to list the instructor or TAs here. Sources can include: other students in the class, other people, printed material, web material (give a URL), anything else...
Please note that you still must cite references appropriately in the report bibliography itself, and that citing a reference does not mean that it is OK to simply copy/quote material from that reference.

Grading:

Each of these assignments will be given two grades, one for technique and one for content. The overall grade on the assignment will be the average of the two grades. Note that a 70 overall score is passing. Any late penalties will apply to the overall grade.

The content rubric will vary in the three assignments. The technique rubric will be the same for all three, and is meant to capture basic ideas fundamental to all writing, as well as specific ideas mentioned in chapters 2-4 of the textbook.

	High (Exceeds Expectations)	Medium (Meets Expectations)	Low (Below Expectations)
Obedience to Format	10	5	0
Spelling	10	5	0
Grammar/Punctuation	10	5	0
Sentence Structure	15	10	0
Paragraph Style	15	10	0
Tone	15	10	0
Style	15	10	0
Document Structure	10	5	0
Total	100	60	0

Obedience to format

High[10]: All required parts are included, and all guidelines (formatting, length, etc.) are adhered to.
Medium[5]: Some part of the assignment is not clearly included, or some guidelines are missed.
Low[0]: Some required part is not included, and/or multiple guidelines are missed.

Spelling

High[10]: No spelling errors.
Medium[5]: One or two spelling errors, but not the type to make meaning obscure, and not of basic or common words.
Low[0]: Major misspelling of important or common word, misspelling that interferes with comprehension, or more than two minor errors.

Grammar/Punctuation

High[10]: Punctuation and grammar are appropriate to the audience and genre and enhance the style. The grammar and punctuation conform to the conventions for edited American English. There are no punctuation or grammar errors.
Medium[5]: Punctuation and grammar are appropriate to the audience and genre. They conform to the conventions for edited American English. Errors may occur but are few and do not markedly distract the reader.
Low[0]: Errors occur frequently and mar the writer's intent and the reader's comprehension. Reading is frequently interrupted by error. The writer has not proofread.

Sentence Structure

High[15]: Sentences are of appropriate length and express individual or closely related thoughts. Word choice is appropriate to the audience and genre.
Medium[10]: Sentences may run on longer than ideal or be too short, but are still easily understood. Word choice is appropriate to the audience and genre.
Low[0]: Individual sentences are difficult to understand or contain significant unnecessary padding. Word choice is likely to be inappropriate for the target audience.

Paragraph Style

High[15]: Paragraphs have a clear main point, express a coherent idea, and are of reasonable length.
Medium[10]: A couple of paragraphs may have unclear main points, be internally incoherent, or be inappropriately too long or short. However, most paragraphs are still well-organized.
Low[0]: There are multiple identified problems in multiple paragraphs.

Tone

High[15]: The paper maintains a consistent tone, including the depth of discussion throughout the document. Discussion is specific and precise, avoiding the use of buzzwords and jargon. Ideas are presented clearly.
Medium[10]: The points being made are sometimes obfuscated. There may be noticeable use of jargon or buzzwords. The tone and level of presentation may change through the paper.
Low[0]: There is an excessive use of buzzwords, jargon, and content-free padding. It may be difficult to understand the point being made. The reader may have a feeling of reading large amounts of text with little actual content. There may be large variations in the level of detail presented in various parts.

Style

High[15]: The parts of the document flow together to address the main goal. Examples or analogies are not misused. Straw-man discussions are avoided. Quotations and references are used as appropriate. Ideas and terminology are not used out of sequence.
Medium[10]: The overall flow of the document is somewhat uneven, but the paper is still easily readable. Examples, analogies, quotations, and references are all used appropriately.
Low[0]: There are major discontinuities in the paper. The presentation of ideas detracts from the main goal of the paper, rather than contributing to it. Tangents or extraneous detail may be included.

Document Structure

High[10]: Use of white space, headings, lists, figures, bullets, etc. clearly convey the structure of the document and enhance the reader's understanding. It is clear where important information can be found in the document.
Medium[5]: The document's structure does not detract from reading the document, but the structure does not aid in understanding.
Low[0]: The use of white space, lists, headings, etc., or lack thereof, detract from the document and make it difficult to follow and comprehend.