Oral Exam Rubric

Grade	Prepared Written Exam Questions	Conceptual Analysis and Support	Rhetorical	Language	Integration with Group
A	Original, often insightful combination of ideas and texts that expands on questions posed in lecture and class; highly specified thematic focus; well-articulated contextualization of texts and ideas; correlation of multiple texts that leads to analytical discussion and additional questions; promotes extensive discussion that fosters new insights in group participants	Original, often insightful ideas that go beyond what was discussed in lecture and class; well-chosen examples with specific quotations and detailed explanation; ideas develop, becoming increasingly complex in response to arguments presented in discussion	Commands attention with pointed questions and convincing arguments that respond to, and often expand on, peers’ claims; anticipates the audience’s need for information, explanation, and context; engages the audience with eye contact and engaging body language; lucidly incorporates and complicates ideas presented by peers into responses that go beyond simple agreement or disagreement.	Clear language that uses sophisticated sentences effectively; usually chooses words aptly; defines complex terms	Effectively integrates individual contributions with the general themes being discussed by the group; adaptable; smoothly transitions away from prepared questions and toward points of interest to peers; speaks regularly
B	Complex combination of ideas and texts that attempts to expand on questions already posed in lecture and class; specific thematic focus; clear contextualization of ideas and texts; correlation of at least two texts or ideas; promotes lively discussion and interest in group participants	Shows a good understanding of the texts, ideas and methods of analysis covered in lecture and section that goes beyond the obvious; appropriate textual evidence and supporting detail with adequate explanation; ideas develop in response to arguments presented in discussion	Addresses audience with thoughtful questions that have a clear purpose and responds to questions with clear claims; addresses the audience’s need for information, explanation, context; generally maintains a relationship to the audience and regularly incorporates ideas presented by peers	Generally understandable language; may make occasional problematic word choices or syntax errors; may slip occasionally into an inappropriate style	Maintains relationship to group; attempts to transition between individual and group ideas; may have minor inconsistency in transition; speaks often
C	Clearly posed questions that rework claims already posed in lecture and class; general thematic focus; context for ideas and texts not always clear; makes correlations between at least two texts or ideas; promotes only limited discussion	Shows an understanding of the texts and ideas covered in lecture and section; some ideas unsupported; makes limited use of textual evidence; some minor factual or conceptual errors; some ideas develop in response to ideas presented in discussion	Purpose of questions and responses not always clear, but helps foster discussion; signals the importance of the reader's needs for information, explanation, and context; relation to audience impaired by hesitation in voice or body language; rarely incorporates ideas presented by peers	Occasional phrases or sentences that are incomplete or incomprehensible to the audience; imprecise use of words; frequently inappropriate style; some distracting grammatical errors	Individual contribution sometimes dissociated from group discussion; disjointed transition to preceding or succeeding ideas; speaks occasionally
D	Questions vague or not central to the idesa and texts covered in the course; makes few correlations between ideas and themes; promotes no discussion	Shows inadequate command of course materials or has significant factual and conceptual errors; insufficient or inappropriate textual evidence; few ideas develop in the course of discussion	Purpose of questions and responses generally unclear; unable to address audience’s need for information, explanation, context; shows serious weaknesses in addressing an audience; does not engage peers	Frequently incomplete or incomprehensible phrases; some major grammatical errors that impair comprehension; generally inappropriate style of address	Individual contribution is only vaguely related to the whole; failed transitions to other ideas; speaks only once
F	Questions incoherent and disconnected from ideas and themes of the course	Lacks basic understanding of lectures, readings, discussions, or assignments; may list disjointed facts or misinformation; uses no textual evidence; does not develop ideas in course of discussion	No sense of purpose; unable to communicate with audience	Large stretches of incomprehensible language; numerous grammatical errors and stylistic problems seriously detract from the argument; no sense of appropriate style for audience	No discernible relation to group discussion; no attempt to establish a transition to other ideas; may not speak in discussion