Assignment Dates

• Firm Due Date: By 11:59 PM on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, the end of the last day of exams.

This is an OPTIONAL assignment.

What I Want You to Do

Complete a performance review form that provides an evaluation of your work in the course and proposes the course grade you should receive. Gather information from your Weekly Activities and Full Drafts to support the course grade you propose for yourself.

Why I Want You to Do It

You will write performance evaluations in the workplace, both to assess your own work and to assess the work of colleagues. The final exam focuses on this type of writing while also evaluating your work in this course. The final exam gives you the chance to demonstrate your productivity and accomplishments in the course, using your best persuasive abilities to argue your case for your course grade.

Show/Hide Relevant Course Objectives

Relevant Course Objectives

• How to analyze your audience and purpose so that you can choose how to present information clearly and effectively. [CLO 1]
• How to find and evaluate original, ethical evidence that supports your position through primary and secondary research. [CLO 2 & 3]
• How to write documents you may encounter in the workplace (specifically front matter for a report). [CLO 4]
• How to use colors, layout, and formatting that make your documents understandable and easy to read. [CLO6]
• How to take advantage of design principles, including contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity, to communicate your ideas effectively. [CLO 7]

Where You Can Find Help

• Markel & Selber, Chapter 8, “Communicating Persuasively”
• Webpages:
  • Guidelines for Writing Your Employee Self-Assessment, from UC-Santa Barbara Human Resources
  • Evaluation Resource Central: Peter Elbow, from Evergreen State College
  • What is a Self-Assessment? from the Ohio National Guard
  • Tracking Performance Accomplishments and Writing Self‐Assessments, from the USDA

How You Do It

1. Decide whether you want to complete the final exam:
   1. Check your tentative course grade in the Effort Expectations-Based Course Grade Assignment.
   2. Decide between these two options:
      • If you agree with the tentative grade indicated for the Effort Expectations-Based Course Grade Assignment, do nothing. The grade in the rubric will become your course grade. You can skip the final exam (and the rest of these preparation instructions). 
      • If you disagree  with the tentative grade indicated for the Effort Expectations-Based Course Grade Assignment and want to propose a different grade, complete the optional final exam to argue for the grade you believe you deserve. Move on to the next step.
2. Use the instructions on the Final Exam Preparation page to gather evidence of your work in the course. You need specific details to support the grade you propose for the final.
3. Download the Final Exam: Performance Review Form (alternate link).
4. Add your responses to the questions in the form in your word processor, following these guidelines:
   • Do not change the wording or format of the headings or questions in the form in any way. [I set the questions as a maroon font and your responses as a black font to make the answers easier for me to find quickly.]
   • Do not change the organization of the questions on the form.
   • Add as much space as you need for your answers to the questions.
   • Include graphs, charts, and other visual elements that support your argument, if you desire.
5. Use the VT Grade Scale for Letter Grades with +/- for your proposed grade in the course:
   • A
   • A-
   • B+
   • B
   • B-
   • C+
   • C
   • C-
   • D+
   • D
   • D-
   • F
6. Check your work against these expectations for the final exam. Your performance review should
   • Answer all of the questions clearly and honestly.
   • Be specific and detailed, since I will go by the information you provide as I determine your course grade. If you do not provide adequate, specific details, your grade may be lower.
   • Use layout and design to make your responses clear and easy to read.
   • Specifically state the letter grade you propose for your course grade (using the grade scale above). Select a letter grade (not a number). Do not choose an A+, as Virginia Tech does not have an option for that grade. Do not choose a grade range (such as B/B+).
   • Explain how you arrived at your proposal.
7. Review your exam to ensure that I will understand your self-assessment.
8. Upload your completed final in Canvas by 11:59 PM on or before Wednesday, May 10, 2023. There is no grace period for the exam.

Obtaining the Points for Your Work

• I will read your final, looking for evidence that supports your argument for a course grade. Specific details will be most convincing.
• I will record your course grade as the grade for your final.
  • In most cases, I will record the grade you suggest as your course grade.
  • I reserve the right to change your grade as appropriate however. I typically change grades in these situations:
    • when someone proposes a course grade that is lower than they deserve for reasons that have nothing to do with learning in the course.
    • when someone proposes a course grade higher than their effort merits, such as proposing an A when the student has not met the effort expectations for an A.
    • when someone proposes a course grade that does not use the review form and/or does not include evidence that supports the proposed course grade.