In terms of evaluating (& scoring) the language and presentation aspects, I used the following structure:

Scholarly presentation

• Work is exceptionally well focused & presented as a polished & academic discourse
• Work is excellently focused & presented as a fluent academic discourse
• Work is very well focused & presented as a good academic discourse
• Work is well focused & generally well presented. Minimal errors & omissions
• Work is focused with a clear & logical structure. Some omissions & errors are present
• Satisfactory development of argument, structure & conclusion. Some errors/omissions, but fundamental/key issues are addressed
• Poor structure & development. Unacceptable level of errors/omissions. Does not meet some of the requirements or guidelines
• Lacks coherent structure & development. Does not meet some of the requirements or guidelines
• Does not meet the basic standards of academic writing, or any of the requirements/guidelines for the work

Something I note, is that we often lay own strict criteria for students that are 'non-native speakers' (e.g. IELTS of 7.0 or over), but to be honest, a lot of our native speakes are not this proficient.  I found that this more general scale of presentation allowed me to adapt the judgement to the level being examined, and also the format that the student was submitting.

For referencing, I used the following grade levels:

Referencing

• No referencing errors. Exceptional reference list. Required system used. Quotations used well & creatively
• No referencing errors. Excellent list of references. Required system used. Quotations used well as needed
• No referencing errors. Very good list of references. Required system used. Quotations used well as needed
• Minor referencing errors. Good list of references. Required system used. Quotations used appropriately
• A few missing or inaccurate references. Adequate reference list. Required system used. Too many quotations used
• Several missing or inaccurate references. Short reference list. Required system used. Excessive use of quotations
• Many referencing errors. Inadequate reference list. Wrong system used. Too many quotations used.
• Many referencing errors & very poor list of references
• Numerous referencing errors or missing references. Reference list is ineffectual or missing

You will get circumstances where part of one category is true, but not another (so just cross out the bit you don't want).  Also, we will interpret things differently, so I always give a clear explanation to students as to what the levels mean.

I would attach my grading sheet (I have attached it in a different thread), but the RG system is not letting me upload documents - send me an email to [email protected] if you want a copy.  I found that not only could I use it for transparent and justified evaluation, but it also worked well when teaching academic development. If you do it right, you can get students to self-evaluate their work in all of the required areas ... before they land something awful on your desk, & then ask why you didn't give it a high grade. 

Saves lots of stress & heartache for student & marker  ;-)

I think the need for following mechanics of writing or any academic writing style such as APA or MLA or CMS is depended on various factors.  These factors can be standard/ levels of students academics, purpose of learning, need for instruction, obligation for style etc., But in general, language mechanics and specific style of writing enhances communicating and understanding levels from both the sides of writers and readers.

I hope this helps in some extent

Thank you.

In terms of evaluating (& scoring) the language and presentation aspects, I used the following structure:

Scholarly presentation

• Work is exceptionally well focused & presented as a polished & academic discourse
• Work is excellently focused & presented as a fluent academic discourse
• Work is very well focused & presented as a good academic discourse
• Work is well focused & generally well presented. Minimal errors & omissions
• Work is focused with a clear & logical structure. Some omissions & errors are present
• Satisfactory development of argument, structure & conclusion. Some errors/omissions, but fundamental/key issues are addressed
• Poor structure & development. Unacceptable level of errors/omissions. Does not meet some of the requirements or guidelines
• Lacks coherent structure & development. Does not meet some of the requirements or guidelines
• Does not meet the basic standards of academic writing, or any of the requirements/guidelines for the work

Something I note, is that we often lay own strict criteria for students that are 'non-native speakers' (e.g. IELTS of 7.0 or over), but to be honest, a lot of our native speakes are not this proficient.  I found that this more general scale of presentation allowed me to adapt the judgement to the level being examined, and also the format that the student was submitting.

For referencing, I used the following grade levels:

Referencing

• No referencing errors. Exceptional reference list. Required system used. Quotations used well & creatively
• No referencing errors. Excellent list of references. Required system used. Quotations used well as needed
• No referencing errors. Very good list of references. Required system used. Quotations used well as needed
• Minor referencing errors. Good list of references. Required system used. Quotations used appropriately
• A few missing or inaccurate references. Adequate reference list. Required system used. Too many quotations used
• Several missing or inaccurate references. Short reference list. Required system used. Excessive use of quotations
• Many referencing errors. Inadequate reference list. Wrong system used. Too many quotations used.
• Many referencing errors & very poor list of references
• Numerous referencing errors or missing references. Reference list is ineffectual or missing

You will get circumstances where part of one category is true, but not another (so just cross out the bit you don't want).  Also, we will interpret things differently, so I always give a clear explanation to students as to what the levels mean.

I would attach my grading sheet (I have attached it in a different thread), but the RG system is not letting me upload documents - send me an email to [email protected] if you want a copy.  I found that not only could I use it for transparent and justified evaluation, but it also worked well when teaching academic development. If you do it right, you can get students to self-evaluate their work in all of the required areas ... before they land something awful on your desk, & then ask why you didn't give it a high grade. 

Saves lots of stress & heartache for student & marker  ;-)

I think this is a serious issue, grammar needs to be checked properly before a submitted assignment should be signed passed.

Dear Debra

A very nice idea, I do agree with you that we have a problem in students writing styles. I am talking here about graduate level. It is not suitable to devote a lot of time in research course for writing styles such as APA. I may suggest to have a pre-request course in writing.

As for which components of an assignment should be passed:

Knowledge relevant to assignment

Comprehension & Application

Analysis

Synthesis [Degree level & above]

Evaluation

Scholarly presentation

Referencing

I have 9 grading levels for each category.  If we dont count a 0-10% bottom band, then you can use these divisions as 10-19/20-29/30-39 etc.  Up to you how you weight them, but my role was that NO area could fall below the minimum pass grade (students could re-submit if invited by the exam board for a capped grade).  Sounds harsh maybe, but it ensured that I taught students the required skills, then graded them fairly on how they had been applied.  You can say that something like referencing is not of equal value to knowledge related to the assignment, so you can either wight it, or stick to your guns & say that without one component, you are not going to get a higher education representation of the others.

Calibrating the standard of an assessment submitted by a student needs to be calibrated by well qualified experts in that discipline and take into account the level of the studies being assessed.

For example, for a University student, expectations should be higher than for a secondary school student or a primary school student. The task requirements need to be made clear to students so that they understand the expectations at the point of production of their assessment task response. For some assignments, the quality of the presentation (spelling, etc) and referencing should not only be assigned marks, but also will reflect the overall assessment of the work.

Debra,

My view is that language mechanics and referencing conventions should be a component of the rubrics you use to mark the written assignment. The weight of that component should, in my opinion, be aligned with the writing maturity expected from the students. However, I would never use that component as a cut-off condition. Cut-offs tend to instill a sense of failure that is emotionally damaging and doesn’t help learning. A student who fails part of an assignment can be stimulated to improve that part in the future, especially if she is proud of the part she did right. And – unlike creativity and talent – language mechanics and conventions are quickly mastered by stimulated students who put their mind to it.

Kind regards

Antonio

Grades are to be awarded only as a measure of mastery of syllabus objectives. Therefore if language mechanics is not a syllabus objective, then it should not be a criteria for grading.  If it is that language mechanics is important, then it should be reflected in the objectives and the amount of instructional time allotted to it.

The question, I believe is: which is more critical - language mechanics or the content of the paper?  In real life students will be able to benefit from editors or peer assessment, so it may be that at this stage of their lives, the content of the assignment is more important and therefore should earn the bulk of the score.

I think students should be expected to meet the criteria and write within professional specifications.  In particular, if your students aspire to become professors, it is crucial that they learn to write well in terms of both content and publication style.  Successful publication of manuscripts requires both, and scholarship expectations are increasing in universities throughout the world.

Dear  Debra

I think  the other aspect of the problem  is the assessment where most of the procedure depend on  MCQs which  give no  weight to  the writing 

Dear  Stefan Svetsky 

The style itself may  indicate the journal  dignity  that  is why  it should be different  

Hi Debra,

I certainly think that functional grammar should be a component of any assessment task - I don't think it should be the determining factor in a pass fail scenario; however, poor written language is often a symptom of poor logical thought which may well exclude students from submitting work of a "passing quality".

Regards, Kevin

I agree wit  you Kevin Larkin

It is important for graduate students to have a basic understanding what constitutes professional writing in their field of study. For those in the social sciences, that usually means APA style. I often required that students attend some of the free tutorials that were offered through the campus library on the basics of APA writing and devoted an early class session to my own basic APA expectations. Having done so, I then held to my expectations about writing requirements in other class assignments and graded accordingly. Graduate students should have the knowledge and understanding that is required to be consumers of their body of professional literature as well as being potential contributors to it. Having served on editorial boards for many years, I understand that no one will read what you wish to say if it isn't written in a manner that meets the standards of the profession.

It is very important for students to the basic skills in writing and speaking fluently the language of the subjects of their professional area and to know how to conduct their thoughts in very clear scientific procedure. This communication skill should paid more attention by their tutors so they can acquire the essential techniques. To me this is one of most important issue but I think the students basic learning was lacking this consideration so it is important for all of tutees to encourage their students to practice these skills and I think one way which can achieve this goal is through the interactive dialogue between the tutor and his students through direct questioning and answering with the desired language in the field of study area in question.

Dear Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim 

Do the students need much  language if their exam is MCQs only?

He should study the language mechanics carefully, and pass it, so as the student or the future graduate can express himself correctly. But this should be incurred in the educational program and not to take most of his time and effort.

Dear Ishag Adam

For MCQs exams, I think the need for language will be minimum but it is important that the student should have sufficient language to understand the questions stems very clearly and also the choices available so he can correctly answer the question so it is clearly as I think it is important to have the basic minimally needed language and also I think it is preferred for the examiner to simplify the questions language. But also in my point of view I think it is better to add some questions like the short notes where you subject the student to the challenge of practicing written answers which will strengthen his communication and reporting skills.

Debra, my students are at pre university or k12.  They pass up science reports, one for each experiment.  Yes, they must abide by the language rules.  In particular, the methods section must be in past tense and passive voice.  They must have 3 references written in APA style.  And the report must be submitted after the experiment is done.  This is the best way to ensure that they do not copy.  Thanks.

I think it is mandatroy for the student to follow the APA and grammar rules in addition to avoid copy paste text and this is in particular should be checked. 

There are lots of school criteria for grammar and writing. Everyone is not taught the same way. This is the same as cooking your favorite dish. You tell your friends what the recipe calls for and everyone changes it a little to fit their habits. I believe that if each student would be given an assignment that calls for these language mechanics, we would have better writers. Teachers may designate leeway in some areas for students and some teachers are very strict. I do not believe that writing should be the only criteria to pass course or assignment. With the email/texting language, technology has changed how you send/write a letter and communicate. 

Hope  this helps.

Dear Debra and All,

I agree that language skills are important to an educated person. In addition, there seems to be a circular relationship between writing and thinking (e.g., one's thinking affects one's writing and one writing affects one's thinking, etc.).

I teach mainly doctoral students and some students at the Master's level. I pay attention to the organization of the students' papers and their writing mechanics; I usually assign 10-20% of their grade to these requirements.

I'd encourage a few of my students who have more difficulty in writing to seek help from the Writing Center on campus and/or from their friends. I also encourage them to read good writing. I'm glad to see some improvement in these students over time. 

Dear  Harshvardhan Singh what  do  you think  if the  university teach  in  language other than  English?  

In Indian Engineering colleges, where 1st year students have English language as a course work (two semesters), students do not want use of grammatical evaluations, However in their  intermediate levels they study and are also evaluated on difficult words and grammar applications.

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-artslaw/cels/essays/matefltesldissertations/milesdiss.pdf

I think that if we look how language is used to form & express our arguments, then evaluating this area is the same for us all, regardless of what the language is. If we bare in mind that some 95% of research is published in English though, it becomes important for a number of disciplines to follow & become familiar with common presentation forms.

I think  this point is valid if the students have started the university in the language different form  their  mothers` tongue  

many articles rejected because of the poor English and grammatical error founded in the text body of his manuscripts so i think it is important to learn the grammar of English well.

Dear  Ahmed and tefan Svetsky 

I think  we discussing the matter of the language and students

There is another question on  the publications,  articles and language  

The language issues are widely covered in other threads. But, editors & teachers often have difficulty understanding & interpreting poorly expressed ideas (regardless of language).  Editors & teachers try to see past 'errors', but the responsibility for quality of expression lies with the original author.

Depends on your objectives? what are the learning outcomes of the assignment? Is it part of course?

Dear Emad Abu-Shanab 

I think  it should be part of all  the courses

Hi!  The assignment depends on the subject, degree of study and the context of presenting. Considering a post graduate and above level like MBA or Mphill it requires a very strict and great deal of such grammatical and APA compliance. While there is always a scope of improvement and thus the compliance can be a bit realxed

I am a faculty of a higher education program. A learner must address all objectives of the course. If a writing assignment is an assignment of the course, then the learner is accountable to the content and style. That is part of the specifications and the grading. If a learner cannot follow the directions of the assignmet, they should be assisted to visit the writing center of the school to effect a change in their writing style. Once style is address, the clarity and persuasiveness of the study can be addressed. 

Most of the answers seem to agree that an assessment of language is needed for undergrad students. Some answers sound very condemning of students with poor expression however, and that is a little disturbing. Most students I have taught have had English as second or even third language. Assuming that they have limited logical thought because of poor English is a little short-sighted.

Until recently I conversed in three languages in day-to-day life. After a while, it became difficult to keep them separate and grammatical constructs from one language might slip into another. I use all three languages to help me build mental models etc. but my initial translation into English text usually would not even serve as a dog's breakfast. It takes a few iterations before anyone but myself will understand it.

Having said that, I find it important that students learn to communicate their thoughts and ideas. On one hand they need to be able to convince lecturing staff that they actually know what they are talking about, on the other – well, in a way we are teaching most of our students to function “better” in a world outside academia. A badly written disaster relief plan will not inspire confidence in the organisation that published it… ditto for a government report looking at developments in the health sector.

Nicolas Rowe's marking scheme looks impressive – and I hope he doesn't mind if I copy part of it.

One question that does come to my mind is – do I fail an assignment because of poor English even if the arguments are good? In an English department this might the case, but I teach ecology and GIS. Should I make language a “hurdle requirement”?

Referencing (if “APA” is referring to the referencing style) is a bit different though. These days there are many reference management software packages available, many also free (I use Zotero myself). Since such software can be used to format references for a literature list, there is little “excuse” for a list not to follow the requirements. So while I do look at the reference list I do not go through it with a (not only proverbial) “red pen”, and I am less lenient regarding the formatting. Usually I am more worried about the types of references and their age.

If you don't hold a standard on those things, they will just go on to the next class or degree with the same problems. If the rubric or course guidance (syllabus) does not reflect the high stakes of these items, students may challenge harsh grading. Perhaps you could state somewhere that students must "pass" grammar and APA standards to pass the paper. Alternatively, you can send the paper back and not submit a grade until it is up to standard (which also should be in the syllabus or rubric so students are aware). 

Friedrich: "One question that does come to my mind is – do I fail an assignment because of poor English even if the arguments are good? In an English department this might the case, but I teach ecology and GIS. Should I make language a “hurdle requirement”?"

I think in this discussion we can substitute any language for English. If we take the marking scheme I used (it is adapted from Bournemouth University UK):

The top grade (maybe >90% undergrad & >80% grad / post-doc) says: 'Work is exceptionally well focused & presented as a polished & academic discourse'.  In any language, this requires that the student writes & expresses themselves exceptionally well (entailing argument, structure, attention to formatting etc,).

A 'Pass' grade might require undergrad students to achieve "Satisfactory development of argument, structure & conclusion. Some errors/omissions, but fundamental/key issues are addressed".  For grad students it may be "Work is focused with a clear & logical structure. Some omissions & errors are present".  For Doctoral students "Work is well focused & generally well presented. Minimal errors & omissions".  When we look to publish however, no main stream journal will accept less than "Work is excellently focused & presented as a fluent academic discourse".

Yes, the 'fairness' of second language study & writing can be debated, ... but as I said earlier, that is how it is:  >95% of published research is in English, so if this is what staff & students have committed to (along with publishing their findings for a global audience), then this is what is needed.  This partly goes towards my view that English has now become a 'tool', as well as a language.

Friedrich - if you send me an email to the address provided, I can send you the whole marking scheme.

Dear  Nicholas E Rowe 

Thank  you very much  for your comprehensive comment 

Dear Debra

First of all you have to have a rubrics or guideline for marking the assignment and  usually we reserve 10%  of the assignment total mark  towards[English crammer,  academic writing styles and references style] hope this helpful

I think as you go round the journals, you meet a lot of different styles, and also a lot of 'hybrids', eg a certain journal's use of Vancouver, Harvard etc.  Lots of universities have their own 'pet' style, so be it APA, MLA or whatever, the assessment is still the same. Personally, I think it important to teach students how to interpret a certain style, & how to apply it to the main types ofm resources they use.  Personally, as long as the requirements are spelt out & a student can apply them carefully, then I don't care if the student has APA 6th edition off by heart  ... I certainly haven't (but I can always look it up on good old Google)  :-)

I think it is important to remember that our undergraduate students are part of an academic environment/culture, not a trade school. We are not (entirely) vocationally driven, but academically driven. Part of the culture of an academic institution is the need to be able to convey our ideas. At the moment this means we need to write well - it is the privileged mode of communication of our ideas. I hear what people are saying about the challenges faced by students who are asked to write in a language other than their mother tongue, or by students who are not strong in their writing skills. But it usually takes me a few drafts before whatever I am writing makes sense to me - that is part of the writing process - drafting, re-drafting and re-re-drafting. But is it a hurdle? Some of my literacy colleagues would argue it should be - but perhaps I fall into the category of many who have replied here - it is worth part of the marks but the communication of the ideas is paramount.

Debra, Thank you for raising this topic for this dialog.

Nicholas, Thank you for a detailed post listing criteria for success presentations and references. Bravo! It has made my evening browsing this thread to see it. I acknowledge the concerns from a point of view of facilitating capstone project which require a report to defend and support the real work conducted. At our school we promote the APA style. Sometimes I have to teach the rules and some editing to help out. Students who are learning syntax for computer languages sometime accept the challenge that APA is merely another syntax that is rather easy to achieve.

It seems doubtful that we could expect mastering the APA style as a prerequisite for each course in the program, however, I would support learning it along the way. We should not lower this standard. Fortunately, we do have a center from writing excellence that is eager to help.

The trouble is that we want to produce students who on their own can successfully produce research and reports when they have graduated.

The standard expected in the research industry is that the reports be grammatically correct as they must be crystal clear.

The standard expected in academia is also that the research and reports be free of plagiarism. The smart, lazy students quickly realise that they can cut, paste and plagiarise. They hide their tracks by inadequately and incorrectly citing*. So it is essential that we assess their work by awarding some marks for meticulous attention to detail. It matters not if we train them in APA or something else. They can pick up and learn the syntax of a new citation style easily.

*Spot the deliberate error in a "student's" citation e.g., of this page preventing the lecturer from verifying that a quote or paraphrase came from this page.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Should_students_be_required_to_the_pass_the_language_mechanics_e.g._grammar_and_APA_compliance_in_order_to_pass_an_assignment

[Hint: examine the punctuation in this synthetic example].

"Oh, that was not plagiarism, I listed ResearchGate in my Bibliography!", says the student in defense to allegations of plagiarism.

Research is about meticulous attention to clarity, and accuracy of data. The rubric must reflect this. 

I think that the discussion has progressed quite a bit beyond the original question, and putting it into the context “the greater scheme of things”.

From the research and publication point of view English seems to be the “lingua franca”. For those of us with English as second or third language – we need to be particular about our writing and are advised to have the text edited. @Nicola Carr – I am sure glad that I am not alone with my ability (or lack of it) to write clear text from the word go. (Mind you, the time needed to rewrite a paragraph for the umpteenth time provides opportunity for additional reflection.)

From the teaching and learning perspective, I agree that we need to retain the grammar of the “teaching language” (be it French, Spanish, Japanese or any other language) as part of our assessments. Nicholas Rowe was kind enough to send me an extension of the assignment feedback he provided earlier. I had a little time (though not as much as I'd have liked to) to reflect on it.

When I mark assignments (electronic submissions), I would put lots of comments in the margin and then create a feedback sheet (one file for each student) with additional comments. In a number of cases I found that a specific comment was warranted for various students and I would C&P it, so that I would not have to write it again.

The feedback structure provided by Nicholas basically formalizes the procedure. The feedback is potentially two-fold, it provides an indication of where a student might improve, but it also shows students where they have done well. When a student has rubbed me the wrong way I might provide a good mark, but not show where s/he has done well. The more formalized feedback form takes care of this.

On the other hand, the feedback becomes much less “personal” and turns into a “tick the box”. ...but then there is the size of the class to contend with – how personal can you go...

Though for the Management students, there is no regular course work on English language, I still recommend students to take mock tests in the "writing component" of  IELTS is good to improve their language skills.  In addition the other components add value to develop for a global footing.

For anyone who wants it, here is the assignment marking & feedback rubric I mentioned in earlier posts.  It gives distinct categories & identifies bands of performance within those categories.  Although people will have different interpretations of the levels, I have found I can apply this rubric not only to undergrad/grad & doctoral work, but also to different types of assignments (essays, role play, posters, presentations etc.).

I think the important thing about using this type of rubric is that it makes sure we give a consistent level of feedback to students, and (IMO very importantly) that we validate our opinions.  If we don't give clear feedback (including things like presentation quality and referencing), then the student cannot establish the level at which they are expected to perform, or see what areas they can improve on.

Thanks  Nicholas E Rowe for valuable link

Hi Nicholas,

Thanks for your document! I really appreciate all of the work you have put in of this. A couple of questions - I notice you identify a second marker - do you do this for every paper or specific ones.

Since you provide a provisional grade, it leads me to thinking that you use a point scoring system. Do you rank/rate the grad student at a higher level given only the top is completed? Finally, I am surprised you did not add referencing areas since I have found some of the master's level paper & thesis re not cited and referenced appropriately.

Thanks for you responses. 

Sue

Hi Sue,

This is the rubric & policy I used at Bournemouth University in the UK for 5 years.  We normally second marked every paper. In cases of a 10% variation, we went with the original grade. If there was a higher variation, then 1st & 2nd markers conferred until they reached an agreed grade.  Given the split of the different levels in each area, it was quite easy to link the top bracket with 90-100% (I had a great debate about whether you could actually award a student 100% for an assignment), & so on.  This made it easy to apply to different study levels, i.e. 40% min. pass for certificate, 50% min. pass for Masters, 80% min. pass for clinical etc.

We then had an external assessor who viewed all 1sts, all fails and a % of the interim grades to ensure they were fairly applied.  An exam board then ratified the grade which appeared on the student's degree breakdown.

You might think this is overkill (it takes a bit of logistics & hard work), but I feel it gave us a system we could defend & be proud of.  If anyone asked why student X achieved this %, I could not only show them how the assessment had been made, but also how it had been ratified by a 2nd marker & an independent assessor (from a different university).  I have seen all sorts of other systems elsewhere, and even though some are regarded as educational experts, I have yet to find a system that is as fair or comprehensive.  As you can see from my profile, I am currently doing a PhD, & although my grades show nothing but '1sts' & passes, I can guarantee that although I would not have failed any assignments, my grades would perhaps not be so impressive with this system applied.  Is it harsh - no, it is honest, & that is what I feel HE is all about.

As for the referencing areas:  We all have a 'house' system (APA, Harvard etc.).  If the student is properly taught how to correctly interpret the main guideline (where does the date go, do I use brackets, do I give translated titles in square brackets, do I use italics, periods, colons etc ....), then it is sink or swim.  If you look at the levels, the bands go from no referencing errors, several, many, numerous etc.  I (personally) don't get hung up about minor errors, but if these are made consistently, then the student will pay for it. IMO, the main thing is that they supply appropriate references for the work they cite, & if you look at the wording, then this can again be measured according to the level that is being taught.  Suppose however that the student was the worst referencer ever ... should this give them a 'fail' if the rest of their work is at an acceptable level?  If the other areas are high enough, then a poor score for something like referencing would not sink their final grade. It would however detract from what they could have achieved, & (hopefully) give them a targeted & evidenced area where they could improve.

What I like about the rubric, is that you can use it to teach the students not only the core areas of academic development, but also to self-evaluate their own work (before they turn it in).  I have sat with 'fail' students and had them see for themselves where they came up short (we allowed a single re-sit attempt that was capped at the minimum grade - some systems actually allow students to re-sit to improve their grades ...). Also, I have had people with upper 2nd grades arguing why they didn't get a 1st ... the rubric showed them why . Where peer-assessment often shows students to be harsher that the lecturer, this rubric gives an fairly equitable comparison (in my experience) ;-)

I am not a control-freak, a bookworm, or pedantic (although the Good Lady Wife would probably debate that a bit), but I felt that this system not only gave me faith in my professional practice, but it also gave me faith in my colleagues & my own judgement. It can also give others faith that the students we turned out were worthy of their grades, had been fairly but comprehensively examined, and that their grades were genuine.  We may not have been #1 ranked, but I feel we were at least honest.  ... & in my opinion, that is an underlying principle of HE, research & professionalism.

Thank you for the valuable information you shared here in R G.  Nicholas. Do you think this rubrik can beused for level 5 diploma students? Or needs to be simplified?

Dado:  I have used this rubric for 5 years on diploma students (also certificate, bachelor, honours & masters). With certificate (& diploma), you can leave out the synthesis grading. However, I personally think it is a good idea to keep it in (it helps build academic development and HE thinking), but treat it moderately when awarding a grade.  The rest of the items you simply grade within the level you are assessing.  I attach an example of the marking criteria (expectations) that I applied at Certificate & Diploma levels. 

I found that if I marked using the rubric, the result pretty much always reflected the band descriptor that I felt was most appropriate for the work.  You get the odd difference in interpretation or expectation between colleagues, but I found it achieved a consistent and fair assessment approach  :-)

Thank you Nicholas. I appreciate your helpfulness!

I am of the view that grammar is of utmost importance is a student assignment and should therefore be graded to arrive at a final score. Same goes for references. My reasons are 

1. A writing with incorrect grammar may end up given a wrong meaning to the entire submission.

2. Referencing should be standard so that if there is a need to cross check the reference there will be no confusion. However the students should be clearly instructed on which referencing style is expected of them

Would the topic nature be a matter here... I mean if you teach math or marketing, language influence might differ. We think of math as all numbers and symbols, but when teaching operations research, my students claim that language is the reason behind their failure and if the exams were in Arabic, then they will pass. It is important but still not as much as marketing (based on the diversity of topics taught 

Emad:  a number of previous posts share your concern (e.g. Graz Dec 15, 2015; Rowe Dec 12, 2015 / Dec 13, 2015 / Dec 15, 2015).  In this context, my own view is that English has become first and foremost a tool that researchers use to communicate their work to the rest of the world.  It is covered widely, but although you could campaign for the 'marginalisation' of other languages, English reaches by far the most countries (not individuals), hence it is used in preference to other languages.  Certainly you could publish in other languages, but would your work reach such a global audience?  I think that (as raised in previous threads), students undertake their formative learning in their own language, then move on to the stage where they want to influence or communicate with others.  If this can be effectively achieved in your own language, then there is little need to become an expert in another.  However, as Ian Kennedy said (Dec 16, 2015), we want students to be independent.  Especially in research, this means being aware of what others have done.  As this is often published in English, then there has to be some level of competency in order to locate and understand what has been written.  If this does not exist, then we sort of live in a cultural bubble and see our topic only in light of what we have been exposed to.

As an academic language editor, although I don't think we should have to become perfect linguists, we should be able to express ourselves in a way that is reasonably intelligible to others.  In exams, formative studies etc. I always allow for individual expression.  In things that are headed for the public domain however, there is little latitude given.  It is therefore my view, that all HE & research institutions that produce work that is destined for international dissemination have permanent resources that support students and staff in this aspect.  It is not a question of simply translating, but more one of effective communication with a global community. 

The current language situation has been thoroughly researched  (for a good exploration & summary see: Montgomery, S. L. (2013). Does science need a global language?: English and the future of research. University of Chicago Press). So, I think that we have to decide for ourselves what information sources we need to access, what audiences we want to reach, and how individually willing / able we are to take on this challenge.  I hope that help in this area will become more commonplace.

https://books.google.fi/books?hl=en&lr=&id=huJdUeTQe4oC&oi=fnd&pg=PP8&dq=does+science+need+a+global+language&ots=2DCvmqdhZk&sig=k_pCbd5Vt_lxTHlHRwlgwHDCjkY&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=does%20science%20need%20a%20global%20language&f=false