Progress Report

The week off should have given you an opportunity to work on your term project. We have a second, and last, computer workshop scheduled for April 29 --- and we are locked into this date. I will need a week to examine your progress reports. Therefore, I maintain the original date for the progress report: April 22. At the April 22 class, I will ask you for a one-minute oral debriefing of the status of your project.

I need to know how advanced your project has become and any difficulties you are encountering. I have found that feedback at this point can bolster the quality of your work, avoid misunderstandings, and identify problems --- all well before the end of the semester, when there is no time for revision.

Therefore, I need from you a print-out of a draft of your term project or, if that is not yet possible, a memorandum indicating the status of your project: what you have done, what remains undone, and any difficulties you are encountering. I need a frank assessment from you if I am able to assist.

The following week, April 29, will use the computer lab to go over your work. By that time, be prepared to bring to class relevant but portable material that displays your sources.

Grading

As displayed in the syllabus, the term project progress report counts five points toward your grade, but has strategic value beyond that. Here is how I will grade your proposal:

An outstanding progress report which previews a very promising final project gets the full five points.
A robust and cogent progress report gets 4.5 points.
A strong but not outstanding or robust progress report gets 4.0 points.
An adequate progress report earns 3.5 points. Generally this indicates that you have made only fair progress toward your final product
A sincere but weak progress report gets 3.0 points. Usually there are major flaws in the elements.
Anything below 3.0 indicates that your work is seriously deficient.
A point will be deducted for each week the assignment is late.

Remember: The progress report and the computer lab are designed to help you produce a better term project and earn a higher grade. Please respond with your best effort.