General Education Rubrics
Rubrics represent guides for course designers/instructors, students, and evaluators. Course designers and instructors can use the rubrics as a basis for creating activities for students that will meet General Education competencies. Students can use the rubrics to identify target criteria for creating evidence of each competency. Evaluators will use the rubrics to score student work collected via sampling methods.
These General Education rubrics were originally created at a faculty rubric development workshop directed by D. Switzer (Teacher Education) on Nov. 11, 2005. After instruction on rubric creation, faculty worked in small groups arranged by General Education competency area (Ethical Judgment, for example). These groups were populated by faculty from disciplines with interest in each area. Initial drafts were transcribed and edited by J. Appling (Undergraduate Studies) to standardize rubric levels and language. Additional feedback and content revision was provided by faculty groups formed from members of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the University Assessment Committee. Draft rubrics were edited for language and style by B. Ramirez from English.
These draft rubrics are constructed on a four-level system. The bottom level, 1, represents unsatisfactory work. The upper level, 4, represents exemplary work. Thus only descriptions of levels 2 and 3 are necessary to set the scale. Level 3 represents work that meets general expectations of competency. Level 2 represents work that has components of reasonable performance, but is indicative of a student still developing skill or knowledge in that area.
It is hoped that there will be few level 1 examples of student work. Ideally the largest fraction of students will fall in categories 3 and 4. The populations that exhibit work in levels 1 and 2 could give an indication of areas where attention should be given. Level 2, as an indicator of emerging student ability, helps provide better discrimination in order to improve the usefulness of the scale for program assessment. This is not an interval scale, only ordinal (i.e., the difference between 1 and 2 is not the same as between 2 and 3, etc.). Frequency profiles, rather than means, can be used to indicate changes from year to year.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee approved these rubrics at the May 6, 2006 meeting.
Small changes were made and approved at the October 5, 2007 meeting.
Competency Area: Arts and Humanities
Competency AH1: Develop an understanding of the history and cultural contexts of the arts and humanities.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Historical Issues | Exhibits a shallow understanding of historical issues. | Exhibits a mature historical grasp and ability to connect ideas, events, people, and causality. | ||
Socio-Economic Contexts | Exhibits a shallow understanding of socio-economic issues such as gender, class, ethnicity, etc. | Exhibits a mature grasp of complex socio-economic issues. | ||
Cultural Innovations | Exhibits a shallow understanding of cultural innovations in arts and humanities. | Exhibits a mature grasp of cultural innovations and integration of disciplines. | ||
Discipline Integration | Exhibits a shallow understanding of the integration of disciplines in the arts and humanities. | Exhibits a mature understanding of the integration of disciplines in the arts and humanities. | ||
Awareness of Charged Issues | Exhibits a shallow understanding of charged issues. | Exhibits a mature and complex awareness of charged issues. |
Competency Area: Arts and Humanities
Competency AH2: Examine the arts and humanities as expressions of the human experience.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Critical Methods and Vocabularies | Exhibits a shallow grasp of critical methods and vocabularies. | Exhibits a mature grasp of critical methods and vocabularies through synthesis and creative thinking. | ||
Analytical Techniques | Exhibits a shallow grasp of analytical techniques. | Exhibits a mature grasp of analytical techniques. |
Competency Area: Arts and Humanities
Competency AH3: Experience and evaluate productions of the performing and visual arts.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Critical Analysis | Superficial analysis exhibits a shallow understanding of events. | Complex analysis exhibits a mature understanding of events. | ||
Creative Responses and Projects | Exhibits superficial responses or submits projects of limited scope. | Exhibits complex responses or submits projects of substantial scope. |
Competency Area: Cross-cultural Awareness
Competency CC1: Develop an understanding of world cultures in historical and contemporary perspectives.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Concept of Culture | Exhibits a shallow understanding of what constitutes culture. | Exhibits a mature understanding of what constitutes culture. | ||
Cultural Diversity | Exhibits a shallow understanding of and/or respect for cultural diversity. | Exhibits a mature understanding and respect for cultural diversity. | ||
Contemporary Cultures | Exhibits a shallow breadth and sophistication of analysis, a lack in diversity of perspectives, and a non-creative use of sources. | Exhibits a mature breadth and sophistication of analysis, a diversity of perspectives, and a creative use of sources. | ||
Comparative Perspectives | Exhibits a shallow breadth and sophistication of analysis, a lack in diversity of perspectives, a non-creative use of sources, and little appreciation of cultural differences. | Exhibits a mature breadth and sophistication of analysis, a diversity of perspectives, a creative use of sources, and an appreciation of cultural differences. | ||
Culture Change | Exhibits a shallow breadth and sophistication of analysis, a lack in diversity of perspectives, and a non-creative use of sources. | Exhibits a mature breadth and sophistication of analysis, a diversity of perspectives, and a creative use of sources. |
Competency Area: Cross-cultural Awareness
Competency CC2: Recognize the importance of language in cultural contexts.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Culture and Language | Exhibits a shallow understanding of the interplay between culture and language. | Exhibits a mature understanding of the interplay between culture and language. |
Competency Area: Ethical Judgment
Competency EJ1: Demonstrate knowledge of what ethics is and is not, its relation to academic integrity, and its importance as a field of study.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
The Nature of Ethics | Classifies issues as ethical, legal, religious, or matters of social convention. | In dealing with issues, consistently distinguishes among ethical, legal, religious, and social questions. | ||
Academic Integrity | Demonstrates an understanding of Clemson University’s academic integrity policy. | Demonstrates an understanding of the ethical implications of academic integrity violations on self and others. | ||
Professional Integrity | Demonstrates an understanding of ethical standards in the area of study. | Consistently applies ethical standards in the area of study. |
Competency Area: Ethical Judgment
Competency EJ2: Demonstrate understanding of common ethical issues, and construct a personal framework in which ethical decisions can be made in a systematic, reflective, and responsible way.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Ethical Perspective | Identifies multiple stakeholders and points of view. | Articulates the positions of multiple stakeholders and recognizes points of tension or conflict among them. | ||
Justification | Demonstrates an awareness of the need to use principles and evidence in providing support for an ethical decision. | Articulates a systematic, principled argument in favor of an ethical decision. | ||
Professional Issues | Demonstrates an understanding of ethical issues in the area of study. | Applies a systematic, principled approach in dealing with ethical issues in the area of study. | ||
Ethical issues in society | Demonstrates an understanding of ethical issues in society | Applies a systematic, principled approach in dealing with ethical issues in society. |
Competency Area: Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
Competency M1: Demonstrate mathematical literacy through solving problems, communicating concepts, reasoning mathematically, and applying mathematical or statistical methods using multiple representations.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Conversion to Mathematical Symbols | Identifies quantitative variables but incorrectly describes relations among them. | Correctly identifies quantitative variables and the relations among them. | ||
Mathematical Transformations | Inconsistently applies mathematical transformations and logic. | Correctly uses algebraic and geometric transformations and logic, including those embedded in multi-step problems. | ||
Translating to or from Mathematical Symbols | Inconsistently translates between mathematical language and lay language. | Correctly translates between mathematical language and lay language. | ||
Presenting Quantitative Results | Inconsistently represents numerical, graphical, or algebraic data. | Correctly presents numerical, graphical, and algebraic representations of the same quantitative data. | ||
Using Statistical Methods | Inconsistently applies statistical methods to data. | Correctly uses appropriate statistical methods to describe data. |
Competency Area: Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
Competency M2: Develop an understanding of the principles and theories of a natural science and its applications.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Predictive Nature of Science | Exhibits a shallow understanding that scientific inquiry is based on the search for mechanistic laws and predictability. | Exhibits a mature understanding that scientific inquiry is based on the search for mechanistic laws and predictability. | ||
Major Principles and Theories | Exhibits a limited understanding of the major principles and theories of a particular scientific discipline. | Exhibits a mature understanding of the major principles and theories of a particular scientific discipline. | ||
Scientific Method | Exhibits a limited understanding of the relationship among hypotheses, experiments, and theories. | Recognizes the cycle of systematic study resulting from the interplay among hypotheses, experiments, and theories. | ||
Questions | Inconsistently frames questions or has inadequate appreciation for experimental limitations. | Frames precise questions and recognizes the limitations of experimental approaches. | ||
Defensible Claims | Claims are based on limited understanding of scientific evidence and experimental conclusions. | Makes defensible claims based on scientific evidence and experimental conclusions. |
Competency Area: Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
Competency M3: Explain and apply the methods of a natural science in laboratory or experimental settings.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Hypotheses | Exhibits undeveloped or unclear hypotheses. | Exhibits skill in formulating complete and clear hypotheses. | ||
Scientific Approach | Exhibits incomplete designs to test working hypotheses. | Exhibits skill in designing and testing working hypotheses, including use of appropriate experimental controls. | ||
Data Collection | Exhibits collection of inaccurate or inadequate data to test working hypotheses. Does not include all relevant variables. | Exhibits skill in collecting accurate and objective data to test working hypotheses. Data structures include all relevant variables. | ||
Data Analysis | Analyses, interpretations, or conclusions are incomplete or inaccurate. Inconsistently uses multi-step approaches. | Analyses, interpretations, or sound scientific conclusions are fully and clearly supported by the data collected. Correctly uses multi-step formalism. |
Competency Area: Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
Competency M4: Apply information technologies to intellectual and professional development.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Computer-Based Productivity Applications | Exhibits skill with a limited number of applications or generates some inferior products. | Exhibits skill generating products using a basic suite of productivity applications. | ||
Data Retrieval | File organization demonstrates some hierarchy in file structure with limited retrieval problems. | Files are organized and data is easily retrieved from hierarchical structure using logical and meaningful file handling | ||
Security | Exhibits superficial awareness of security issues and can minimally operate in a networked computer environment. | Exhibits sophisticated use of a computer environment with complete understanding of all relevant security issues. |
Competency Area: Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy
Competency M5: Understand the role of science and technology in society.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Social Purposes | Exhibits a shallow understanding of the interactions among science, technology, and society. Recognizes some ways in which systems impact humans and other systems. | Exhibits a mature understanding of the interactions among science, technology, and society. Recognizes critical ways in which systems impact humans and other systems at local and global levels. | ||
Controversy | Exhibits a shallow understanding and evaluation of the multiple viewpoints of a scientific or technological controversy. Is aware of sustainability issues. | Exhibits a mature understanding and evaluation of the multiple viewpoints of a scientific or technological controversy. Understands issues of sustainability. | ||
Values and Judgment | Has a limited understanding that new scientific and technological developments can require re-evaluation of values and ethical standards. | Recognizes how values shape issues, and that new scientific and technological developments often require re-evaluation of values and ethical standards. | ||
Informed Decision-Making | Has a sufficient understanding of impacts and interactions to recognize that personal choices exist and informed decisions must be made. | Has a mature understanding of impacts and interactions to identify personal choices and to make informed and responsible decisions. |
Competency Area: Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving
Competency R1: Summarize, analyze, and evaluate fictional and non-fictional texts.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Summarize fictional text | Ideas are incomplete or presented from a subjective viewpoint. | Major ideas are presented in complete form from an objective viewpoint. | ||
Analyze fictional text | Exhibits a shallow understanding of the relationship between and among the parts and the whole of the material. | Exhibits a mature understanding of the relationship between and among the parts and the whole of the material. | ||
Evaluate fictional text | Evaluation superficially describes text organization, including only a shallow exploration of relevance, significance, and quality. | Evaluation discusses text organization as well as explores relevance, significance, and quality. | ||
Summarize non-fictional text | Ideas are incomplete or presented from a subjective viewpoint. | Major ideas are presented in complete form from an objective viewpoint. | ||
Analyze non-fictional text | Exhibits a shallow understanding of the relationship between and among the parts and the whole of the material. | Exhibits an understanding of the relationship between and among the parts and the whole of the material. | ||
Evaluate non-fictional text | Evaluation superficially describes text organization including only a shallow exploration of relevance, significance, and quality. | Evaluation discusses text organization as well as explores relevance, significance, and quality. |
Competency Area: Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving
Competency R2: Differentiate deductive and inductive reasoning processes.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Deductive Reasoning | Exhibits limited explanation and examples of deductive reasoning processes. | Exhibits accurate and full explanations of deductive reasoning processes, with clear examples. | ||
Inductive Reasoning | Exhibits limited explanation and examples of inductive reasoning processes. | Exhibits accurate and full explanations of inductive reasoning processes, with clear examples. | ||
Differentiation | Exhibits inconsistent differentiation between deductive and inductive reasoning processes. | Exhibits a clear distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning. |
Competency Area: Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving
Competency R3: Acquire and analyze information to determine its quality and utility.
Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 |