Grading essays in computer ethics: rubrics considered helpful

ABSTRACT

Computer ethics courses differ from technical courses in the manner in which they are taught and assessed. A common assignment in a computer ethics course is to write an essay that addresses a technical dilemma. Computer science faculty typically do not have training or experience in grading essays. The purpose of this paper is to present a scoring rubric that has been successfully used to grade and track students' knowledge development as they progress through a computer ethics course. Although this paper focuses upon a specific rubric, general principles will be emphasized to show how scoring rubrics can be used across different courses.

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