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# System prepended metadata

title: Rubric for Drawing Assignments

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# Rubric for Drawing Assignments

*A guide to help you give constructive feedback on drawing assignments.*


As an instructor, you may have some questions about how to give students feedback on drawing assignments. However, if you have given feedback on student papers, this task should feel familiar. You will be looking for similar indicators of students’ comprehension and mastery: the presence of a strong thesis, effective communication skills, appropriate scope, and accurate presentation of data. Use the following topics and questions as a guide:

## Thesis Selection

Every drawing should have a thesis. Reflect back to the student what you interpret the drawing’s thesis to be. Provide feedback on thesis quality. Provide feedback on ways in which the thesis is well-chosen or could be strengthened.

* First, does the drawing have a thesis or a clear communicative goal?
* If so, what do you believe the drawing’s thesis to be?
* Finally, is the thesis worthy? In other words, is it defensible, non-obvious, and important?

## Clarity

Every drawing should be easy to understand. Provide feedback on the ways in which the drawing is easy to decode. Suggest places in which students could have visually expressed information more clearly.

* First, could an intelligent non-expert easily understand the drawing?
* If not, what about the drawing is confusing or unclear?
* For example, do any of the following distract from the clarity, readability, or main point?
	* sideways writing
	* sloppy typography
	* ordering data such that arbitrary factors are emphasized
	* huge blocks of text, legends, or labels positioned in locations that force viewers to look back and forth multiple times
	* overemphasis on trivial details
	* data dumping

## Scope 

The amount of information in the drawing should be a digestible. Provide feedback on the scope of the drawing. Provide feedback on ways in which the scope is appropriate, too large, or too small.

* Does the drawing contain a manageable amount of information?
* Or, is the drawing trying to communicate too much information? Should the drawing have been broken into more than one drawing? 
* Alternatively, could the drawing have contained more information?

## Accuracy and Presentation of Data

Every drawing should “tell the truth.” Provide feedback on how effectively the student has selected and represented data.

* First, does the drawing lead the viewer to accurate conclusions?
* Relatedly, does the drawing prevent spurious reading of data?
* Are appropriate comparisons and contexts shown? Is anything essential missing?
* Are the data organized in an order that is non-arbitrary? For example, students should not organize data alphabetically if the drawing could have been organized according to a relevant factor (e.g. size, temperature).
* Finally, are the data documented accurately? 

## Visual Communication and the Elements of Drawing 

Color, line, and shape are the elements of visual language. Contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity are the principles. Give feedback on the student’s use of these tools to communicate his/her intent. If the student has used an element or principle poorly, explain how these choices undermine his/her communication goals. You may wish to provide students with relevant resources **(found here)**.

* In what ways does the student use the following to support -- or undermine -- his/her communication goals?
	* color
	* line
	* shape
	* contrast
	* repetition
	* alignment
	* proximity
	* page layout (the way information is arranged on the page)
	* angle, perspective, and scale

## Mastery of Content 

Drawings are a window into a student’s comprehension. Drawings will help you understand the internal models of content that students have created. Provide feedback on the ways in which the student’s understandings are accurate. Correct any misunderstandings that become apparent through their drawings.

* Based on what the student has drawn, how well does the student understand the course content?
* Are there any glaring misunderstandings?

## Suggestions  

Conclude your feedback with suggestions for next time.

* Could anything about the drawing be improved or clarified? If so, what?

