Unraveling the
Mysteries of the
Discussion-Board
Rubric
Did you know the word rubric comes
from the French word rubrique,
meaning ‘red coloring matter’?
Training session for fine tuning the Walden discussion board
Points to remember about Walden’s rubric
1. Post the discussion rubric in the Doc Sharing area of the eCollege class.
2. Grade the discussion board with the discussion rubric.
3. Instructors use rubrics to assess students’ work, provide feedback
for improvement, and create a uniform evaluation for all student work at
Walden. Instructors can write comments from the rubric in the
“Comment”area of the gradebook for the discussion-board grading.
4. Students should anticipate that a grade of ‘B’ reflects a solid, graduate-level
product that completes the required elements of the assignment.
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Positive outcomes of using the discussion-board rubric
* Student work is assessed in a consistent manner from class to class and
program to program.
* Students use the rubric to pre-assess their work before submitting it for
grading.
* Students are given uniform feedback, which helps them improve their work.
* Students develop a scholarly voice to enhance their professional growth.
* Students are more likely to use rubrics in their own classrooms.
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Characteristics of ‘A’ discussion-board postings
A: Exemplary Work A = 4.0; A- = 3.75
* Exceed the minimum expectations of the ‘B’ discussion-board postings as
mentioned in the prompt and /or directions for the discussion board.
* Have more than the required number of postings. At least but not limited to one
additional substantive posting to go beyond the “required” amount of postings.
* Relate the focus of the discussion to the context of the teacher’s own
classroom.
* Include information from the course materials and may use outside or
additional sources.
* Postings contain few, if any, grammar/usage errors.
Example of an ‘A’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Differentiating between an ‘A-’ and a ‘B+’ posting
At times you may have questions how to differentiate between an ‘A-’ and a
‘B+’ post. Here are some suggestions you might use:
* To qualify for an ‘A’-, five of the nine characteristics of an ‘A’ posting should
be present, with the other four characteristics falling at the ‘B’ level.
* To qualify for a ‘B’+, two of the characteristics of an ‘A’ posting should be
present, with the other characteristics falling at the ‘B’ level.
Example of an ‘A-’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Characteristics of a ‘B’ discussion-board posting
B: Graduate Level Work B+ = 3.50; B = 3.00; B- = 2.50
* The postings are complete and fulfill the requirements of the given prompt in
a detailed and scholarly manner, but lack the extras needed to achieve an ‘A’.
* The postings should contain a scholarly tone, with major points supported by
class readings or videos, but they do not need to be cited, unless a direct quote
is used.
* Postings contain few, if any, grammar/usage errors.
* Demonstrate evidence of learning as a result of interaction with colleagues.
* Provide clear opinions and ideas written in Standard Edited English.
Example of a ‘B’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Differentiating between a ‘B-’ and a ‘C+’ posting
At times you may have questions how to differentiate between a ‘B-’ and a ‘C’
posting. Here are some suggestions you might use:
* To qualify for a ‘B’-, the majority of the nine characteristics of a ‘B’ posting
should be present, with the other characteristics falling at the ‘C’ level.
* To qualify for a ‘C’+, one characteristic of a ‘B’ posting should be present,
with the other characteristics falling at the ‘C’ level.
Example of a ‘B-’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Characteristics of a ‘C’ discussion-board posting
C: Minimal Work C+ = 2.50; C = 2.00; C- 1.75
* One or more of the requirements of the posting is missing.
* One of the required responses is missing.
* Little or no evidence of connection to the course materials.
* Evidence of little personal learning as a result of interaction with colleagues
* Expression is unclear or interrupted by errors.
Example of a ‘C’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Differentiating between a ‘C-’ and a ‘F’ posting
At times you may have questions how to differentiate between a ‘C-’ and a ‘F’
post. Here are some suggestions you might use:
To qualify for a ‘C’-, the majority of characteristics of a ‘C’ posting are
present, with the other characteristics falling at the ‘F’ level, unless, of course,
more than one of the required postings are missing.
To qualify for a ‘F’, the majority of characteristics of a ‘F’ posting would be
present.
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Characteristics of a ‘F’ posting
F: Work Submitted but Unacceptable F= 1.00
* Several of the required elements of the posting are missing.
* More than the required number of postings is missing.
* Numerous grammatical errors are present.
* Student does not respond to postings until after the due date.
* The student does not make an effort to participate in the community as it
develops.
* The post does not relate to the assigned discussion topic.
* Post contains no connection to course videos or required readings.
* There is no evidence of personal learning as a result of interaction with
colleagues.
Example of a ‘F’ discussion post and responses can be found in the
corresponding Word document.
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Discussion Rubric ABC’s
These are some basics of rubric assessment and grading:
A – Apply the rubric thoughtfully.
B – Be consistent.
C – Collect sample postings to use as grading benchmarks. Please note that you
may collect and use these discussion-board postings as samples, with student
permission, and with the understanding that all information about the student is
removed from the posting.
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Additional suggestions for grading the discussion board
We encourage you to email us any strategies you use when grading the
discussion board.
Questions to consider:
* How do you use the rubric to help determine grades, especially between the ‘+’
and ‘-’ grades?
* What ideas and/or strategies do you use that could be added to this
presentation?
We will be glad to add your ideas to the presentation as additional examples. We
welcome your input!
Debbey Thomas, Ed.D. debbey.thomas@waldenu.edu
Cindee Easton, M.ED. cindee.easton@waldenu.edu
Phyllis Ellett, Ed.D.
phyllis.ellett@waldenu.edu
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