9 Inadequate Developing Competent Effective Highly Effective Situational Understanding The writer develops his or her description in such a way so as to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the situation in which he or she participates and the role of the description in the situation. The writer offers through the description’s dominant impression, observations, naming, details, word choice, and consistency no evidence of understanding even the most basic tenets of the situation in which he or she writes the description. Through the description’s dominant impression, observations, naming, details, word choice, and consistency the writer shows only rudimentary understanding of the situation in which he or she participates through the description. The writer displays a fundamental understanding of the situation in which he or she participates through the description’s dominant impression, observations, naming, details, word choice, and consistency. The writer shows a clear understanding of the situation in which he or she participates through the description’s dominant impression, observations, naming, details, word choice, and consistency. The writer shows a dynamic understanding of the situation in which he or she participates by way of the description’s dominant impression, observations, naming, details, word choice, and consistency. Purpose The writer articulates why he or she wrote the description and how that description will function within the situation. The writer displays no identifiable purpose for the description. The writer expresses only minimal understanding of the purpose of the description and leaves the rationale either unexplained or inferred. The writer expresses a concrete understanding of the purpose of the description and provides some supporting rationale in support of its purpose. The writer clearly expresses the purpose of the description and provides adequate supporting rationale for the execution of the purpose through the description. The writer clearly expresses a sophisticated purpose of the description and provides substantial supporting rationale for the execution of the purpose through the description. Thesis The writer articulates a clear claim regarding the objective of the description and then provides supporting evidence to back up that claim. The writer provides no discernible thesis regarding he description. The writer provides a general or familiar claim about the description. The writer conveys an original yet simple thesis about the description. The writer clearly provides a thesis regarding the description that is valid within the situation. The writer clearly expresses an original and sophisticated thesis about the description pertinent to the situation. Rhetorical The writer The writer The writer The writer The writer
Composing in Electronic Environments The writer’s performance while creating the description illustrates that he/she understands how to: use digital tools for drafting, reviewing, revising, editing, and sharing the description; use digital tools as part of the research process, and use rhetorical strategies appropriate to electronic media (for digital texts). The writer shows serious weaknesses in understanding how to compose within digital environments; the writer attempted to use digital environments to generate and revise the description or to conduct research, often incorrectly or ineffectively. If writing a digital text, the text illustrates a lack of understanding about how to use rhetorical strategies that are appropriate to the electronic genre, medium, and audience. The writer offers unsatisfactory understanding of how to compose within digital environments is reflected in one or more of the following ways: the description illustrates that the writer encountered difficulties with using digital environments to generate or revise the description, or with using digital research tools. If a digital text, it sometimes uses rhetorical strategies that are inappropriate for its electronic genre, medium, and audience. The writer shows satisfactory understanding of how to compose within electronic environments; the description illustrates that the writer can usually use digital environments successfully for generating and revising texts, including the use of digital research tools. If writing a digital text, the writer uses rhetorical strategies that are appropriate for its electronic genre, medium, and audience. The writer exhibits a clear understanding of how to compose within electronic environments; the description illustrates the writer’s clear understanding of how to use digital environments for generating and revising texts, including the use of digital research tools. If writing a digital text, the writer uses rhetorical strategies that are effective for an electronic genre, medium, and audience. The writer is highly effective in understanding how to compose within electronic environments; the description illustrates the writer’s expert understanding of how to use digital environments for generating and revising texts, including the use of digital research tools. If a digital text, it uses rhetorical strategies that are highly effective for its electronic genre, medium, and audience.