Rubric for Asynchronous Discussion Participation

Name___________________________________________________________

Asynchronous discussion enhances learning as you share your ideas, perspectives, and experiences with the class.  You develop and refine your thoughts through the writing process, plus broaden your classmates’ understanding of the course content.  Use the following feedback to improve the quality of your discussion contributions.

Criteria	Unacceptable 0 Points	Acceptable 1 Point	Good 2 Points	Excellent 3 Points
Frequency	Participates not at all.	Participates 1-2 times on the same day.	Participates 3-4 times but postings not distributed throughout week.	Participates 4-5 times throughout the week.
Initial Assignment Posting	Posts no assignment.	Posts adequate assignment with superficial thought and preparation; doesn’t address all aspects of the task.	Posts well developed assignment that addresses all aspects of the task; lacks full development of concepts.	Posts well developed assignment that fully addresses and develops all aspects of the task.
Follow-Up Postings	Posts no follow-up responses to others.	Posts shallow contribution to discussion (e.g., agrees or disagrees); does not enrich discussion.	Elaborates on an existing posting with further comment or observation.	Demonstrates analysis of others’ posts; extends meaningful discussion by building on previous posts.
Content Contribution	Posts information that is off-topic, incorrect, or irrelevant to discussion.	Repeats but does not add substantive information to the discussion.	Posts information that is factually correct; lacks full development of concept or thought.	Posts factually correct, reflective and substantive contribution; advances discussion.
References & Support	Includes no references or supporting experience.	Uses personal experience, but no references to readings or research.	Incorporates some references from literature and personal experience.	Uses references to literature, readings, or personal experience to support comments.
Clarity & Mechanics	Posts long, unorganized or rude content that may contain multiple errors or may be inappropriate.	Communicates in friendly, courteous and helpful manner with some errors in clarity or mechanics.	Contributes valuable information to discussion with minor clarity or mechanics errors.	Contributes to discussion with clear, concise comments formatted in an easy to read style that is free of grammatical or spelling errors.

Examples of postings that demonstrate higher levels of thinking:

• “Some common themes I see between your experiences and our textbook are….” (analysis)
• “These newer trends are significant if we consider the relationship between ….” (synthesis)
• “The body of literature should be assessed by these standards ….” (evaluation)

For more information, contact Barbara Frey at baf30@pitt.edu