Capella University Grading Rubric

The writing feedback tool (WFT) is not a grading rubric. Rather, it is a guide to Capella writing resources that your instructor may recommend. Your instructor may or may not use this tool to provide feedback on your writing assignment; however, you are always encouraged to view the WFT and to use the writing resources as needed.

Criteria	Needs Work	Satisfactory	Exceptional	CapellaCoach	Instructor Comments
1. Critical Reading • Follows the assignment. • Selects and interprets sources appropriately.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 11–16: Critical Reading. Capella Library Sources: What can you use for your research? Presentation: Peer-reviewed Articles and How to Find Them. or PDF: What are Peer-reviewed Articles and How do I Find Them?"
2. Abstract and Executive Summary • Summarizes the main idea(s) of the paper. • Evaluates scholarship related to those idea(s). • Expresses writer's unique perspective.				Capella Writing Center Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 2: "Abstract or Executive Summary." The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking. The Writing Handbook - Business and Technical Writing. Full-text PDF, pages 11–14: Business Plan and Executive Summary. The Writing Center: Strategies for Writing from Secondary Sources. The Writing Center: Developing a Scholarly Voice. Capella Library Evaluating Sources. Library Research Handbook: Evaluating.
3. Introduction • Forecasts the scope and structure of the paper. • States the purpose of main idea(s) of the paper. • Demonstrates critical thinking by providing the writer's unique perspective on the main idea(s).				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 22: Introductions. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 20: Main Idea. Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 5: "Position Statement, Thesis, or Hypothesis." Developing a Thesis Statement. Writing a Course Paper, Ideas tab, slides 4–8: "Critical Thinking." The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking.
4. Body: Organization • Demonstrates critical thinking by organizing ideas in logical order to support the main idea(s) of the paper. • Presents paragraphs with: – Main idea (ex. topic sentence). – Evidence to support the main idea (ex. cited facts). – Analysis of evidence (ex. interpretation of what those facts mean in terms of the main idea(s)). – Link to next paragraph or section (ex. transitions).				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, pages 20–27. The Writing Handbook - Grammar Handbook: Paragraphs. Full-text PDF, pages 25–34. Creative Inquiry. Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 3: "Headings." APA Style and Formatting module. APA Style and Formatting. Headings. MEAL Plan. MEAL Plan Paragraph Analysis. Reverse Outline. Capella Library Organizing Case Study.
5. Body: Evidence Demonstrates critical thinking by integrating reputable outside sources with • Summaries. • Paraphrases. • Quotes.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 23: Using Sources. Academic Honesty. APA Style and Formatting. In-Text Citations. Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 6: "Supporting Evidence." Writing a Course Paper, Fundamentals tab, slide 1: "Maintaining Academic Integrity." The Writing Center: Strategies for Writing from Secondary Sources. Comparing Paraphrase and Summary. Writing Your Own Academic Conversation: Who Said What to Whom. Plagiarism. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism. SafeAssign Source Matching Tool Capella Library Guides and Tutorials: School-specific Research Guides. Anatomy of a Scholarly Article. Presentation: Peer-reviewed Articles and How to Find Them. or PDF: What are Peer-reviewed Articles and How do I Find Them? Library Research Handbook: Evaluating.
6. Body: Analysis Demonstrates critical thinking by reflecting on, explaining, or refuting outside sources.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 7–11: Critical Thinking. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Revising. Full-text PDF, pages 27–34. The Writing Center: Writing for an Academic Audience. The Writing Center: Revising for Results. Online Writing Center: Principals and Procedures for Writing a Literature Review.
7. Conclusion • Reiterates the main idea(s) of purpose of the paper. • Reiterates the writer's unique perspective on the main idea(s). • Demonstrates critical thinking by offering ideas for future research or inquiry.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, page 26: Conclusions. Writing a Course Paper, Sections tab, slide 7: "Conclusion."
8. Documentation Style • Follows specified documentation style. • Uses headings and subheadings to create logical organization pattern. • Incorporates internal citations correctly. • Presents external citations correctly (ex. references in APA).				Capella Writing Center APA Style and Formatting. APA: Finding Answers. What's Behind APA Guidelines? APA FAQ. Plagiarism. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism. SafeAssign Source Matching Tool
9. Voice (3rd Person) • Uses appropriate tone for the assignment. • Uses concrete language. • Uses signal phrases to separate self from sources (ex. according to the author noted).				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Overview. Full-text PDF, pages 4–7: Scholarly Writing. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Drafting. Full-text PDF, pages 25–26: Coherence and Transitions. The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Revising. Full-text PDF, pages 31–32: Voice. The Writing Center: Developing a Scholarly Voice. Writing in Third Person. Writing Your Own Academic Conversation: Who Said What to Whom. Voice, Style, and Tone. Wordiness.
10. Grammar • Uses active voice. • Presents sentences with subject-verb agreement. • Evidences proofreading through lack of errors in sentence structure and spelling.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - The Writing Process: Polishing. Full-text PDF, pages 35–43: How to Edit and How to Proofread. The Writing Handbook - Grammar Handbook: Sentence Structure. Full-text PDF, pages 4–35. The Writing Handbook - Grammar Handbook: Word Choice. Full-text PDF, pages 34–37. Active and Passive Voice. Style: Sentence Simplicity. Past and Present Tense
11. Punctuation • Uses standard American punctuation and the punctuation rules of the citation style.				Capella Writing Center The Writing Handbook - Grammar Handbook: Punctuation. Full-text PDF, pages 47–69. The Writing Handbook - Grammar Handbook: Mechanics. Full-text PDF, pages 69–73. Basic Comma Rules. Punctuating Complete Thoughts.

Capella Writing Feedback Tool