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Communication Core Values Rubric

What is it and how does it work?

Developed by the First-Year Writing team in Dietrich College, this rubric can be used in whole or in part to assess student artifacts for evidence of student mastery of Communication learning outcomes. This rubric includes examples of how some courses have adapted these criteria to their teaching/learning contexts.

Which skill(s) are targeted?

  • Produce content that is credible and compelling to a target audience across multiple formats (oral, written, and visual).
  • Prepare coherent and clearly organized oral, written, and visual products based on purpose, genre, context, and audience.
  • Anticipate and evaluate how communication products are received by target audiences in order to respect diverse perspectives.
  • Develop independent processes for setting communication goals, seeking and incorporating feedback, and revising to improve effectiveness.

NOTE: While the rubric can be used in whole, individual row(s) can also be used if artifacts are more targeted to specific skills but not necessarily the full set.

Who has used it?

Dietrich College First Year Writing courses.

graphic of list of communication core values: Value 1: Compelling & Credible Communicators who enact this value make a case or provide materials that are insightful, thorough, and relevant for the audience. Value 2: Coherent & Clear Communicators who enact this value incorporate strategies to lessen the audience's cognitive burden for comprehension. Value 3: Considerate and Ethical Communicators who enact this value anticipate diversity and variation within audiences; prioritize access through document design and language choices that show empathy toward various perspectives. Value 4: Conscientious & Mindful Process Communicators who enact this value set goals, demonstrate resilience in the face of task problems, employ self-regulation strategies for managing tasks and incorporate feedback as needed.

icon indicating less than 1 hour time commitmentEducator time commitment

Approximately 15 minutes to review the rubric; artifact scoring will vary based on number and characteristics of the artifacts.

icon indicating a time commitment is not applicableStudent time commitment

No additional student time commitment.

Contact eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu for help with incorporating this resource.

Educator how-to steps

  1. Access the rubric in the Canvas Core Competencies shared course. 
  2. Consider your teaching context and assignment goals for students' communications.
  3. Identify one or more values criteria that is aligned to your assignment criteria and add it to your assignment rubric. (Note: you can copy this rubric we've shared via Canvas to the assignment in your Canvas course. Alternative, you can download the Word file.)
  4. Set up the assignment in Canvas and include the rubric so that a) students see this while they are working on the assignment; b) you and/or your TAs can use it to grade the students submission.

See these related resources…

Oral Communication Rubric

OLI course designed to develop skills and strategies for managing conflicts that arise in teams.