Below appears the text of the assignment sheet for the Final Exam (FinEx), adapted for online presentation. This version is to be considered authoritative, superseding any previously published information regarding the FinEx.
As they have been explained, University policies hold that there must be a substantive in-class final exam due during the assigned exam period. To address those policies, as well as to enable continued review and assessment of program materials in the hopes of promoting continuous improvement, my Spring 2015 sections of ENGL 3323 will evaluate the course syllabus as a piece of technical writing, broadly following the model of the earlier EvalEx.
While specific questions to be addressed will not be released until the exam period, the general form of the FinEx should be that of a somewhat extended memorandum, no more than three pages in length. The required subject line is “ENGL 3323 Final Exam.” Its content should consist of a series of paragraphs, each answering one of the questions provided during the exam period.
Secondary source materials may also be consulted; the exercise is open-book and open-note, but it is not collaborative, so you should work independently of your classmates.
A copy of the grading rubric that will be returned to the student following review of the FinEx appears here. Scoring of the FinEx will be determined according to the following criteria:
Format (15 points)
Does the FinEx display appropriate type-face, interlinear and inter-paragraph spacing, and captioning and transmittal information as indicated in the course textbook and class discussion? Does it conform to the length and distribution requirements expressed above? Is it submitted in one of the requested file formats?
Content (25 points)
Does the FinEx contain the requested information, as noted above? Is that content sufficient to address the needs of the reader (i.e., determining student understanding of principles of technical writing as applied to assessment of other documents)? Is the required subject line in place?
Mechanics (10 points)
Does the FinEx adhere to the conventions of academic American English expressed in the course textbook and discussed during class time? Does it observe diction, register, and tone reasonably appropriate to professional discourse, such as can be reasonably expected of students in an upper-division English class?
The FinEx is to be submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file via D2L dropbox as noted below:
Section 006’s FinEx is due no later than noon, 8 May 2015
Section 009’s FinEx is due no later than noon, 6 May 2015
Section 011's FinEx is due no later than 1600, 8 May 2015
The FinEx is a 50-point major assignment. As usual, any outside information must be accounted for appropriately (clear informal citation will suffice for the memorandum), and failure to do so will prompt investigations for plagiarism.
Note that the FinEx is an individual assignment. Each student is expected to submit a unique project.
More information is forthcoming. Please check back for updates.