Student Outcomes Committee

CRITICAL THINKING – SCORING GUIDELINES

DEFINITION:

Critical thinking is the mental process of effectively identifying, determining, gathering, evaluating and utilizing resources to 

innovate and/or to accomplish a specific task.   

Descriptors:

Achievement Level 4

Achievement Level 3

Achievement Level 2

Achievement Level 1

1. IDENTIFY ISSUE:

Identify and interpret a problem or issue

Issue/problem CLEARLY identified and described COMPREHENSIVELY, delivering ALL relevant information (terms defined, ambiguities explored, boundaries determined and/or backgrounds provided) necessary for FULL understanding

Issue/problem identified and described, delivering MOST of the relevant information (terms defined, ambiguities explored, boundaries determined and/or backgrounds provided) necessary for ADEQUATE understanding

Issue/problem identified but description leaves SOME terms undefined, ambiguities unexplored, boundaries undetermined and/or backgrounds unknown, impeding understanding

Issue/problem NOT clearly identified and described, FAILING to deliver relevant information necessary for understanding

2. DETERMINE NEEDS:

Determine the resources needed

EFFECTIVELY AND COMPREHENSIVELY defines the scope of resources needed (key concepts and types of resources) to solve a problem or explore an issue

DEFINES the scope of resources needed (key concepts and types of resources) to solve a problem or explore an issue

INCOMPLETELY defines the scope of resources needed (key concepts and types of resources) to solve a problem or explore an issue

HAS DIFFICULTY defining the scope of resources needed (key concepts and types of resources) to solve a problem or explore an issue

3. GATHER RESOURCES:

Gather resources effectively and efficiently

Gathers resources from appropriate and relevant sources using a variety of EFFECTIVE, WELL-DESIGNED strategies

Gathers resources from SOME appropriate and relevant sources using a VARIETY of strategies

Gathers resources from FEW appropriate and relevant sources using SIMPLE strategies

FAILS to use resource gathering strategies

4. EVALUATE RESOURCES:

Evaluate resources critically

Evaluation of resources (history of the issue/problem; logic/reasoning; feasibility; impact; own and other’s assumptions, bias, authority and relevance) is DEEP and THOROUGH

Evaluation of resources (history of the issue/problem; logic/reasoning; feasibility; impact; own and other’s assumptions, bias, authority and relevance) is ADEQUATE

Evaluation of resources (history of the issue/problem; logic/reasoning; feasibility; impact; own and other’s assumptions, bias, authority and relevance) is SUPERFICIAL

Evaluation of resources (history of the issue/problem; logic/reasoning; feasibility; impact; own and other’s assumptions, bias, authority and relevance) is ABSENT

5. UTILIZE RESOURCES:

Utilize resources effectively and creatively to innovate and/or to accomplish a specific task

Presents resources, organizes resources and synthesizes those resources to FULLY ACHIEVE a specific task WITH CLARITY, PRECISION and DEPTH

Presents resources, organizes resources  and synthesizes those resources to ACHIEVE a specific task

Presents resources and organizes resources but FAILS to synthesize those resources.  Consequently, a specific task is MINIMALLY ACHIEVED

Presents resources but resources are FRAGMENTED and/or USED INAPPROPRIATELY.  Consequently, a specific task is NOT ACHIEVED

6. ASSESS RESULTS:

Assess and evaluate results

INTENTIONALLY and THOROUGHLY REFLECTS upon the results of the specific task and/or innovation in a LOGICAL manner appropriate to the discipline

REFLECTS upon the results of the specific task and/or innovation in a LOGICAL manner appropriate to the discipline

REFLECTS upon the results of the specific task and/or innovation in a SOMEWHAT LOGICAL manner appropriate to the discipline

REFLECTS upon the results of the specific task and/or innovation WITH VERY LIMITED ATTENTION TO LOGICAL STRUCTURES and APPROPRIATENESS to the discipline