Evaluative Paper

This assignment has been created as a take-home final exam for College Composition II. It could also be modified for a regular evaluative essay assignment without the end-of-semester focus.

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ASSIGNMENT

This is a take-home final exam assignment, requring you to write an evaluation of your own Research Paper. The assignment is self-evaluative and self-reflective in nature, asking you to determine and explain the following:

The quality of your own Research Paper: To what extent does your paper meets the standards of effective argumentative writing and the topic requirement?

The value of learning that has taken place this semester: What do you know about argumentative writing and cultural/global themes that you did not know before? What is the value of this learning to you? Discuss at least one possible real-world application of what you have learned in this course.

Which direction did your paper go? Are you happy with it? 1)STRUCTURE
You should follow the order in which the two sub-topics have been listed above, using the basic academic essay structure: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You will decide how many body paragraphs you will have in total and how long each paragraph should be. For example, you could devote 1-2 body paragraphs to the first sub-topic and one paragraph to the second sub-topic.

LENGTH
Your paper should be at least two pages (about 500 words) long and word processed using the MLA style format. The essay can be as long as it needs to be; however, additional pages will not determine your grade – the effectiveness of your content does. Also, keep in mind the “golden rule” of polished writing: “Omit needless words!”

CONTENT

The quality of your own Research Paper:
When evaluating the quality of your Research Paper, reflect on your paper’s successful features as well as the areas where you fell short or your goals. In both cases, discuss the choices you made and the outcomes and suggest ways to improve. The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your own work and learning honestly.

You should minimally address the six parts of classical organization listed in the “Research Paper Assignment” handout, reflecting on how well your Research Paper addresses each part:

Introduction: Does your paper make the topic and purpose clear right from the start? As required, does the topic address a specific cultural and global issue and make it interesting to the reader? How effectively does the opening information “hook” your readers’ interest? What could you have done differently?

Statement of proposition: Does your paper state a clear claim about the topic? Is this statement located in an effective place? What could you have done differently?

Narration: Have you indicated why the topic is important? Is the cultural or global topic relevant to your audience? Does your paper provide adequate background information about the topic and the events that led up to the controversy? Would your audience have needed more background information, examples, or explanations to follow your line of reasoning? Does your paper establish emotional appeal by citing reasons for your interest in the subject and qualifications for writing about it?

Proof: Does your paper provide convincing - i.e. sufficient, reliable, and timely - reasons and evidence that are acceptable to your audience? Have you cited the information appropriately? Have you taken into account your readers’ best interests and beliefs? How well does your writing accomplish these goals? What makes this paper persuasive? What could have made it even more persuasive? How would you describe your essay’s tone? Does it work for your topic and audience? Is your writing voice engaging? Is it appropriate to your topic and your point of view? What would you have done differently?

Refutation: How well does your paper refute opposing positions? How have you done this? What would you have done differently?

Conclusion: Does your conclusion emphasize the most important point and remind the audience of the other important points? How effectively does your conclusion make your final comments stick in your readers’ mind? How effective is your argument in the end? What would you have done differently?

The value of learning that has taken place this semester:

In this section of your Evaluation Paper, you should identify a few key examples of what you know about argumentative writing and cultural/global themes that you did not know before. Feel free to focus on any course activity, topic, or theme. Then reflect on the value of this learning to you. Discuss at least one real-world application, explaining how you will use the new knowledge in a real situation outside class. Again, evaluate honestly, giving examples that are meaningful to you.

Additional Instructions:
The overall tone of your Evaluation Paper can be reflective – somewhat similar to journal writing. However, you still need to follow the standards of good academic writing, paying attention to grammar, spelling, and mechanics. It is not necessary to cite additional sources. However, if you do, you must cite correctly and provide an MLA style Works Cited page of all sources cited.

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