Details for Reflective Essay
Com 115- Section 451
Winter 2015
Assignment Requirements
Think back on all the assignments you completed during the semester and answer the following essential
questions.
a. What were your initial thoughts on your career when you first started taking classes?
Now that you have performed research and written your professional plan, how have your
thoughts changed?
b. Prior to taking COMM 115, what did you think would have been appropriate research
sources? After taking COMM 115, what do you think are now appropriate research
sources? How did this influence your evaluation of the four (4) information sources you
cited in your professional plan assignment?
c. Describe what you think is an effective and efficient way to research an essential
question. Why? (This question helps you to “think about your thinking” (metacognition).
d. How might the approach described in question C help you when researching an
assignment in the future?
e. How has COMM 115 affected the way you think about academic integrity and giving
proper credit to the ideas of others?
Note your paper should be, at minimum, a three to five page writing (spend approximately one page
answering each question), typed and double-spaced. Use APA style in the Cover and subsequent pages.
Due Week 15 – Apr. 20
Rubric for Reflective Essay
Com 115- Section 451
Winter 2015
Level 4
40
Level 3
36
The student is thorough in
describing and analyzing the
individual steps in the information
literacy process, and reflects on
information literacy purposes and
methods. The student
demonstrates understanding of an
effective search and retrieval
process using appropriate search
terminology and according to a
defined purpose. Additionally the
student thoroughly demonstrates
metacognitive ability in describing
how an effective approach to
research could be applied to similar
assignments in the future. The
student describes the process used
to evaluate resources for relevance
and reliability.
35
Level 2
24
The student is mostly thorough in
describing the individual steps in
the information literacy process
and reflects on the information
literacy methods. The student
describes a search and retrieval
process although its effectiveness
is questionable due to
inconsistent use of appropriate
search terminology and strategies.
Additionally the student
demonstrates metacognitive ability
in describing how an effective
approach to research could be
applied to similar assignments in
the future.
23
Level 1
12
The student describes some
steps in the information literacy
process, yet the lack of
specificity and detail conveys a
general lack of understanding
of the information literacy
process. The results of the
inquiry do not necessarily answer
the assignment prompts.
Additionally the student
demonstrates some
metacognitive ability in
describing how an effective
approach to research could be
applied to similar assignments in
the future.
11
0
The student lists some steps
in the information literacy
process. There was little
evidence of an effective
method used to search and
retrieve information for a
purpose. A holistic
description of the
information literacy process is
not evident within the
assignment. Additionally the
student demonstrates little or
no metacognitive ability in
describing how an effective
approach to research could be
applied to similar assignments
in the future.
Content
Comments:
2
Level 4
Grammar/Mechanics/Language/Structure
10
Level 3
8
The assignment is well written
according to the rules of Standard
English and effectively
communicates the writer’s
purpose. The assignment is error
free for spelling and punctuation.
Excellence is demonstrated in
sentence construction and use of
transitional sentences. The paper
is fluent and effortlessly
understandable. The pattern of
organization is appropriate to the
assignment.
7
Level 2
4
The assignment is generally well
written according to the rules of
Standard English and
communicates the writer’s
purpose. There are a few errors
(1 per page) but the errors do not
significantly detract from the
reader’s understanding of the
writer’s intention. There are a
few errors (1 per page) in
spelling and punctuation. There
are a few errors (1 per page) in
grammar as expressed through
subject/pronoun/verb agreement.
There is evidence of appropriate
sentence construction and
transitional sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment. The paper
has a clearly recognizable
introduction, body, and
conclusion and uses a pattern of
organization appropriate to the
assignment.
3
Level 1
2
The assignment generally
conforms to the assignment
requirements and the writer’s
purpose is evident, although more
development according to the
rules of Standard English is
required in order to effectively
communicate the writer’s
purpose. There are many errors
(> 2 per page) in spelling and
punctuation. There are many (>2
per page) errors in grammar as
expressed through
subject/pronoun/verb agreement.
There are many errors (> 2 per
page) in sentence construction.
Transitional sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment are
generally absent. Overall, many
errors (>2 per page) in the
writings interfere with the
reader’s understanding of the
assignment. The paper, though it
has an introduction, body, and
conclusion and so is basically
“correct” in its structure, is in
need of a clear organizational
pattern.
1
0
The assignment barely meets
the minimum acceptable
standards according to the rules
of Standard English in order to
effectively communicate the
writer’s purpose. Frequent
errors more than (>3 per page)
in spelling and punctuation,
frequent errors more than (> 3
per page) in grammar as
expressed through
subject/pronoun/verb
agreement are evident.
Sentence construction is
minimally acceptable due to
frequent appearance greater
than (> 3 per page) of sentence
fragments. Transitional
sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment are
absent. Frequent errors
greater than (> 3 per page)
interfere with the reader’s
understanding.
Comments:
3