Scholarly Discussion Grading Rubric
Participation for MSN/Educator Track
Scholarly Discussion Guiding Principles
The ideas and beliefs underpinning the scholarly discussions (SDs) guide students through engaging dialogues as they achieve the desired learning outcomes/competencies associated with their course in a manner that empowers them to organize, integrate, apply and critically appraise their knowledge to their selected field of practice. The use of SDs provides students with opportunities to contribute level-appropriate knowledge and experience to the topic in a safe, caring, and fluid environment that models professional and social interaction. The SD’s ebb and flow is based upon the composition of student and faculty interaction in the quest for relevant scholarship. Participation in the SDs generates opportunities for students to actively engage in the written ideas of others by carefully reading, researching, reflecting, and responding to the contributions of their peers and course faculty. SDs foster the development of members into a community of learners as they share ideas and inquiries, consider perspectives that may be different from their own, and integrate knowledge from other disciplines.
Participation Guidelines
Each weekly scholarly discussion is worth up to 30 points. Students must post a minimum of three times in each graded thread. The three posts in each individual thread must be on separate days. The three postings are to consist of an initial post to the stated question/required topic, a response to a peer, and a response to a faculty question.
The student must provide an answer to a graded thread topic, by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT, of each week. If the student does not provide an initial answer to a graded thread topic (not a response to a student peer) before the Wednesday deadline, 5 points are deducted for the discussion thread in which late entry occurs. Subsequent posts, including essential responses to peers, must occur by the Sunday deadline, 11:59 p.m. MT of each week. Week 8 only- Subsequent posts, including essential responses to peers, must occur by the Saturday deadline, 11:59 p.m. MT of Week 8.
Direct Quotes
Good writing calls for the limited use of direct quotes. Direct quotes in Scholarly Discussions are to be limited to one short quotation (not to exceed 15 words). The quote must add substantively to the discussion. Points will be deducted under the Grammar, Syntax, APA category.
Substantive Post will include:
• Explaining your opinion about the required topic.
• Applying the concepts of the topic to your specific practice area
• Debating with your classmates the pros and cons of your position regarding the topic.
• Responding to classmates with an extended description instead of merely agreeing.
Grading Rubric Guidelines
Point Values Outstanding level of performance
Satisfactory level of performance
Failing level of performance Unsatisfactory level of performance
Performance Category 10 8 4 0
Application of Scholarly Resources
Demonstrates application of scholarly resources
• Provides relevant evidence of two scholarly resources in the initial post clearly stating how the evidence informed or changed professional or academic decisions.
• One scholarly resource must be from a nursing peer review journal.
• Provides relevant evidence of two scholarly resources in the initial post partially stating how the evidence informed or changed professional or academic decisions.
• One scholarly resource must be from a nursing peer review journal
• Provides relevant evidence of one scholarly in the initial post resources minimally stating how the evidence informed or changed professional or academic decisions
• No evidence of the use of scholarly resources to inform or change professional or academic decisions.
• Information is not valid, relevant, or reliable.
Performance Category 10 8 4 0
Application of Course Knowledge
Demonstrate the ability to analyze, synthesize, and/or apply principles and concepts learned in the course lesson and outside readings and relate them to real-life professional situations
• Compares concepts and principles from the weekly lesson with personal experience as it applies to the educational setting. • Partially compares concepts and principles from the weekly lesson with personal experience as it applies to the educational setting • Posts are superficial and do not reflect an understanding of the lesson concepts and principles with personal experience as it applies to the educational setting.
• Posts are not related to the weekly lesson concepts and; attempts by the instructor to redirect the student are ignored
Performance Category 5 4 2 0
Interactive Dialogue
Responds substantively to peer and instructor
(5 points possible per graded thread)
• Provides a substantive reply to a post from a peer and faculty member’s question. A response to faculty could include a question posed to a specific student or the entire class.
• Substantive posts contribute significant ideas or thoughts to the discussion. This posts answers the question directly and completely and make an additional contribution to the topic.
• A minimum of three posts in each graded thread, over three separate days. (this includes the initial posting, a peer response, and a faculty response).
• A minimum of three posts in each graded thread, over three separate days. (this includes the initial posting, a peer response, and a faculty response
• Provides a basic reply to a post from a peer and faculty member’s question but makes limited, if any, connections to the topic or does not add additional information.
• Has only one post for the week or posts twice on the same day.
• Discussion posts
provides a reply to a post from a peer and faculty member’s question but contain few, if any, new ideas or applications; often are a rehashing or summary of other students’ comments.
• Responds to either a peer or a faculty member but not to both.
• Does not post to the thread
• .
Grammar, Syntax, APA 5 4 2 0
Grammar, Syntax, APA
Points deducted for improper grammar, syntax and APA style of writing.
The source of information is the APA Manual Current Edition • 0 errors in APA format.
• Written responses
have 0 grammatical, spelling, and
punctuation errors.
• Writing style is generally clear, focused, and facilitates communication.
• 1 -3 errors in APA format.
• Written responses
have 1 -3 grammatical, spelling and
punctuation errors.
• Writing style is somewhat focused. • 4 – 6 errors in APA format.
• Written responses
have 4 – 6 grammatical, spelling and
punctuation errors.
• Writing style is not focused, making discussion difficult to understand.
• Post contains 7 or more errors in APA format.
• Written responses have 7 or more grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.
• Writing style does not facilitate communication.
• The student continues to make repeated mistakes in any of the above areas after written correction by the instructor
0 points lost
-5 points lost
Participation Requirement
per discussion thread
The student must provide a substantive answer to the graded discussion question(s) or topic(s), posted by the course instructor (not a response to a peer), by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT of each week. No points are deducted
The student does not meet the requirement of a substantive response to the stated question or topic by Wednesday at 11:59 pm MT. Five points are deducted.
NOTE: To receive credit for a week’s discussion, students may begin posting no earlier than the Sunday immediately before each week opens. Unless otherwise specified, access to most weeks begins on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. MT, and that week’s assignments are due by the next Sunday by 11:59 p.m. MT. Week 8 opens at 12:01 a.m. MT Sunday and closes at 11:59 p.m. MT Saturday. All discussion requirements must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MT Saturday of the eighth week.
*Scholarly source: Per the APA Guidelines in Course Resources, only scholarly sources should be used in assignments and scholarly discussions. These include peer reviewed publications, government reports, or sources written by a professional or scholar in the field. Your textbook and lesson are not considered to be an outside scholarly source. For the discussions, reputable internet sources such as websites by government agencies (URL ends in .gov) and respected organizations (often ends in .org) can be counted as scholarly sources. The best outside scholarly source to use is a peer reviewed nursing journal. You are encouraged to use the Chamberlain library and search one of the available data bases for a peer reviewed journal article. The following sources should not be used: Wikipedia, Wikis, or blogs. These web sites are not considered scholarly as anyone can add to these. Please be aware that .com websites can vary in scholarship and quality. For example American Heart Association is a .com site with scholarship and quality. It is the responsibility of the student to determine the scholarship and quality of any .com site. Ask your instructor before using any site that you are unsure of. If the instructor determines that the site does not demonstrate scholarship or quality, points will be deducted for not using scholarly sources. Current outside scholarly sources are required for the initial posting. This is defined to be 5 years or less. Instructor permission must be obtained if using a source that is older than 5 years.
