COURSE EVALUATION

Homework evaluation:

• A range: Readings are very well understood. Only minor problems (up to four for a five questions assignment) remain. The assignment is written in whole sentences, good English and clear style.

• B range: There is either too many minor problems, or a few minor problems plus one major problem on one of the questions, or more than two major problems in the understanding of the readings. The assignment is not fulfilling one or more of these requirement of the A-range: whole sentences, good English and clear style.

• C range: There is a major problem for all (five) questions. The assigned material was read, but not understood.
  Failure to fulfill satisfactorily any of these criteria will result in a grade of "D" or below.

Participation evaluation:

• A range: The student is fully engaged and highly motivated. This student is well prepared, having read the assigned texts, and has thought carefully about the texts' relation to issues raised in lecture and section. This student's ideas and questions are substantive (either constructive or critical); they stimulate class discussions. This student listens and responds to the contributions of other students.

• B range: The student participates consistently in discussion. This student comes to section well prepared and contributes quite regularly by sharing thoughts and questions that show insight and a familiarity with the material. This student refers to the materials discussed in lecture and shows interest in other students' contributions.

• C range: The student meets the basic requirements of section participation. This student is usually prepared and participates once in a while but not regularly. This student's contributions relate to the texts and the lectures and offer a few insightful ideas, but do not facilitate a discussion.
  Failure to fulfill satisfactorily any of these criteria will result in a grade of "D" or below.

Paper evaluation:

• thesis and substance,

• argument structure, including introduction and conclusion,

• use of supporting material and evidence,

• quality of analysis, including the crucial distinction between unsupported assumptions, value judgments vs. analysis and argumentation.

• use of quality sources,

• quality of writing including grammatical correction, clarity, concision and persuasiveness

• A range: This paper is outstanding in form and content.
  - The thesis is clear and insightful; it is original, or it expands in a new way on ideas presented in the course.
  - The argument is unified and coherent,
  - The evidence presented in support of the argument is carefully chosen and deftly handled.
  - The analysis is complex and nuanced.
  - The sources are original texts or quality scholars' literature
  - No grammatical mistakes, clear, precise and concise style.

• B range: The argument, while coherent, does not have the complexity, the insight, or the integrated structure of an A range paper.
  - The paper's thesis is clear;
  - The argument is coherent
  - The paper presents evidence in support of its points.
  - The argument shows comprehension of the material and manifests critical thinking about the issues raised in the course.
  - The paper is reasonably well written and proofread.

• C range: This paper has some but not all of the basic components of an argumentative essay (i.e., thesis, evidence, coherent structure).
  For example:
  - no clear or incoherent thesis, or
  - incoherent structure of argument, for example simply repeats points made in class without an overall argu\ment, or
  - presents no evidence in support the thesis
  - no use of original texts, but only secondary or popular literature (encyclopedia...)
  - poorly written and proofread.
  A paper will fall below a "C" if it lacks more than one of the basic components of an argumentative essay.

  Sources:

  • Tips for grading in the humanities, Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning web site
  • Introduction to the Humanities Program, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Information for Faculty, 2005-06
  • http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/ihum/instructors/#fac_res