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                     pdfauthor={J. Blustein},%
                     pdftitle={Graduate Essay Grading Principles},%
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    \newcommand{\Version}{version: 13~December~2002 (1a)}
    \title{Essay Grading}
    \author{CS 6606: Human Factors in On-Line Information Systems}
    \date{}
\begin{document}
    \maketitle

    \section{Basic Expectations}
      \begin{itemize}
        \item length (your essay must not be much shorter or longer than
                      the specified length)
        \item format (must be appropriate for an academic essay, and
                      conform the specification in the syllabus)
        \item structure
        \item spelling \& grammar
      \end{itemize}
      Violations of any of these expectations will result in deductions or
     outright failure.

    \subsection*{References}
      Your essay should be self-contained.  References to any external
      sources should be for additional information and sources of evidence
      but not necessary for reader than to understand essay.

      Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  You must give proper credit when
     referring to or using work by others.  If you require guidance about
     the mechanics of citation and what constitutes plagiarism consult with
     the Computer Science librarian, or staff at the Killam Library
     reference desk.

    \section{Content}
      According to Dalhousie's undergraduate calendar~\cite{DalCal}:
      \begin{description}
        \item[`A'-level grades] reflect
          `considerable evidence of original thinking; demonstrated
          outstanding capacity to analyze and synthesize; outstanding grasp
          of subject matter; evidence of extensive knowledge base.'

        \item[`B'-level grades] reflect
          `evidence of grasp of subject matter, some evidence of critical
          capacity and analytical ability; reasonable understanding of
          relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature.'
      \end{description}

      
      I evaluate your essay for the demonstrated understanding of
      underlying issues and terminology.

      In particular, these are the most important aspects of your essay
      that I evaluate when grading content:
      \begin{itemize}
        \item quality of research (how you gathered material by others),
        \item quality of analysis (your contributions to making sense of
              the material you have gathered), 
        \item demonstrated understanding of underlying issues and
              terminology, and
        \item style (how well the text flows).
      \end{itemize}

   \begin{thebibliography}{1}
     \bibitem{DalCal}
       Dalhousie University.
       \newblock Section 17.1 Grade Scale and Definitions In Undergraduate calendar.
       \newblock \myurl{http://www.registrar.dal.ca/calendar/ugrad/acaregs.htm}.
       \newblock Downloaded 14 Dec. 2002.
   \end{thebibliography}

  \newpage \enlargethispage{\baselineskip}

   \section{Examples of Grade Levels}
   \begin{center}
   \begin{tabular}{p{.7\textwidth}|p{10ex}}
     \multicolumn{1}{c|}{\textbf{Essay Characteristics}}  &
     \multicolumn{1}{c}{\textbf{Grade}} \\\hline\hline
     \begin{itemize}
       \item does not violate basic expectations
       \item includes introduction about importance of topic and motivation
             for its study
       \item survey of article within an area, with one section about each article
       \item little or no clear connection between sections
     \end{itemize}
     & \begin{itemize}\item[]\item[]C\end{itemize}
     \\\hline
     \begin{itemize}
       \item as above but with a concluding summary comparing and
       contrasting the various articles
     \end{itemize} 
      & \begin{itemize}\item[]$\mbox{B}^{-}$\end{itemize}
     \\\hline
     \begin{itemize}
       \item survey beginning with motivation for study
       \item examination of relevant articles ordered by issue and with a
             clear, rational connection between sections
       \item insights throughout
       \item conclusion that summaries key points
     \end{itemize}
      & \begin{itemize}\item[]$\mbox{B}^{+}$\end{itemize}
      \\\hline
     \begin{itemize}
       \item comprehensive survey (within reasonably defined limits)
       \item clear structure of the essay the essay follows from the goals
             in the introduction
       \item insights throughout 
       \item conclusion that summarizes the essay and points the way for
             future work and outstanding issues
     \end{itemize}
      & \begin{itemize}\item[]A\end{itemize}
     \\\hline
     \begin{itemize}
       \item discussion of a research problem with a plan
       \item begins with an introduction to the area and explanation of why
             the issues are important
       \item all relevant technical terms are clearly defined without
             interrupting the flow of the essay
       \item survey of background material (as above)
       \item a statement of hypotheses justified by evidence in the survey
       \item plan for an experiment to test the hypotheses including
             descriptions of dependent and independent variables,
             experimental design, and planned statistical tests 
       \item concluding summary that serves as a short, complete pr\'ecis
             of the essay
     \end{itemize}
      & \begin{itemize}\item[]$\mbox{A}^{+}$\end{itemize}
     \\\hline
   \end{tabular}
   \end{center}

\end{document}
  
