Students as Scholars Program Rubric

Mason’s Students as Scholars initiative aims to improve student success through increased participation in and celebration of undergraduate research and creative activities. Students as Scholars helps to create inquiry-driven curriculum and independent scholarly experiences for all students to: 1. Understand the value of knowledge and how it is generated and communicated. (Discovery Outcome) 2. Engage in elements of scholarly inquiry. (Scholarly Inquiry Outcome) 3. Create an original scholarly project and communicate knowledge from the scholarly or creative project. (Research and Scholarship Intensive Outcome)

These outcomes are intended to be inclusive of all academic disciplines at Mason, and supportive of student development. The learning outcomes are organized to promote increasing levels of engagement with the process of scholarship, and increasing autonomy as students develop competence as scholars in their fields. The rubric identifies target levels of development for each learning outcome, shaping expectations for the developmental nature of collegiate learning. The rubric does not assume a prescriptive or linear order of inquiry; rather, it recognizes that the process of discovery differs by scholarly field or project. While the scholarly questions, contexts, methods, and modes of communication vary, all undergraduate research and creative experiences must emphasize the iterative nature of discovery and constant attention to the process of inquiry at all levels and stages of the process.

Using the Rubric The Students as Scholars Program Rubric can be used to: guide program development at the institutional as well as degree program levels; measure student achievement of learning outcomes across learning experiences; and contribute to the improvement of teaching and learning through faculty development activities. Students as Scholars encourages faculty to adapt the rubric to use in ways that are relevant to courses and educational programs in their unique academic and professional fields. The rubric can be used to guide course and curriculum development by determining the level of student scholarly development as they enter a course, and the goals for students as they complete a course. Faculty can design learning activities that align with the student learning outcomes. The program rubric also can be adapted for evaluation of individual student research activities and products.

Suggested Citation George Mason University Students as Scholars Initiative. (2016). Students as Scholars program rubric (Revised September 2016). Retrieved from https://assessment.gmu.edu/student-as-scholars/outcomes-rubrics/

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George Mason University Students as Scholars | oscar.gmu.edu Revised September 2016 Students as Scholars Program Rubric

Students as Scholars Level of Student Scholarly Development Student Learning Outcomes Exceptional Proficient (RS) Approaching Proficiency Emerging Proficiency Novice (Inquiry) CORE Articulate and refine a novel, Articulate and refine a focused Articulate a question, Articulate a question, problem, or Not yet able to articulate Articulate and refine a focused, and manageable and manageable question, problem, or challenge that challenge that is too narrow or an appropriate scholarly question, problem, or question, problem or challenge problem, or challenge that may is generally relevant and general to be addressed question, problem, or challenge. that has the strong potential to contribute to the field. appropriate in scope. appropriately in a scholarly challenge. contribute to the field. project.

DISCOVERY Make accurate and nuanced Consistently make accurate Occasionally make Begin to make distinctions Not yet able to recognize Distinguish between distinctions among personal distinctions among personal accurate distinctions among personal beliefs, opinions, that there is a distinction personal beliefs and beliefs, opinions, claims and beliefs, opinions, claims and among personal beliefs, claims and evidence. among personal beliefs, evidence. evidence. evidence. opinions, claims and opinion, claims, and evidence. evidence.

ETHICS Identify and address a range of Consistently identity relevant Identify some relevant Begin to identify relevant ethical Not yet able to identify Identify relevant ethical nuanced ethical issues ethical issues; demonstrates ethical issues; issues; demonstrates limited relevant ethical issues. issues and follow ethical throughout the inquiry process. attention to ethical principles at demonstrates some attention to ethical principles at principles. all stages of the inquiry process. attention to ethical any stage of the inquiry process. principles at some stages of the inquiry process. METHOD Choose or create sophisticated Consistently choose effective Sometimes choose Be aware of some appropriate Not yet aware of Choose an appropriate and effective methods for methods for exploring an effective methods for research methods, and begin to appropriate research research method for exploring an inquiry, and inquiry, and address advantages exploring an inquiry. identify effective methods for methods for scholarly scholarly inquiry. identify and responsibly and limitations of those exploring an inquiry. inquiry. address advantages and methods. limitations of different methods. METHOD Acquire high-quality Acquire information or data Acquire information or Begin to recognize and apply Not yet able to gather or Gather and evaluate information or data using using effective, well-designed data using appropriate appropriate strategies for evaluate evidence evidence appropriate to sophisticated strategies; use strategies; consistently use strategies; sometimes able gathering and evaluating appropriate to the the inquiry. nuanced criteria to judge the appropriate criteria to judge the to judge the credibility of information or data. inquiry. credibility of the evidence. credibility of the evidence. the evidence. METHOD Provide sophisticated analysis Consistently analyze or Analyze or synthesize Begin to demonstrate an ability to Not yet able to analyze Appropriately analyze or synthesis of new and synthesize new and previous new and/or previous analyze or synthesize evidence. or synthesize scholarly evidence. previous evidence to make evidence to make important evidence appropriate to information or data. original, insightful contributions to knowledge. the inquiry. contributions to knowledge.

George Mason University Students as Scholars | oscar.gmu.edu Revised September 2016 Students as Scholars Program Rubric Students as Scholars Level of Student Scholarly Development Student Learning Outcomes Exceptional Proficient (RS) Approaching Proficiency Emerging Proficiency Novice (Inquiry) CONTEXT Articulate a nuanced Articulate an understanding of Articulate a general Begin to articulate the value Not yet able to explain the Explain how scholarly understanding of the value of the value of research and understanding of the of research and creative value of scholarly inquiry to inquiry has value to society. research and creative inquiry creative inquiry to individuals value of research and inquiry to individuals or society. to individuals and and communities in local, civic, creative inquiry to communities in some local, communities in local, civic, professional, or global contexts. individuals and civic, professional, or global professional, and global Consistently identify and communities in local, contexts. contexts. Astutely identify explain implications of, and civic, professional, or and explain broad questions raised by, the project. global contexts. Identify implications of, and some implications of, and questions raised by, the questions raised by, the project. project. CONTEXT Explain multiple and Explain relevant pathways for Explain general pathways Begin to articulate how Not yet able to explain how Explain how knowledge is innovative pathways for dissemination of scholarship. for dissemination of scholarly knowledge is scholarly knowledge is situated and shared in dissemination of scholarship. Consistently place the inquiry scholarship. Place the disseminated. Begin to make disseminated. relevant scholarly contexts. Place the inquiry within a within a scholarly context and inquiry within a scholarly some connections between comprehensive scholarly be able to make explicit context and be able to own and others' work. context. Make insightful connections between own and make some connections connections between, and others' work. between own and others' acknowledge limitations in, work. own and others' work. CREATION Independently design a In consultation with a faculty Under the direction of a With substantial faculty Not yet able to design or Take responsibility for project that makes original mentor, design a project that has faculty mentor, design oversight, design and execute execute a plan for a scholarly creating and executing an contributions to knowledge, the potential to make and execute a project some elements of a project project. original scholarly or make sophisticated contributions to knowledge, plan. plan. creative project. modifications to research or appropriately adapt research or design strategies as the design strategies as the project project progresses, and progresses, and complete the successfully complete the project. project. COMMUNICATION Communicate - with clarity, Clearly communicate the results Communicate knowledge Begin to communicate about Not yet able to communicate Communicate knowledge accuracy, and fluency - the of a scholarly or creative project from a scholarly or a scholarly or creative knowledge from a scholarly from an original scholarly results of a scholarly or through publishing, presenting creative project through project through writing, or creative project. or creative project. creative project through or performing, consistently writing, presenting, or presenting, or performing, publishing, presenting or employing conventions performing, employing with some awareness of the performing, employing appropriate to the audience and some conventions audience and context. highly-effective conventions context. appropriate to the appropriate to the audience audience and context. and context.

George Mason University Students as Scholars | oscar.gmu.edu Revised September 2016