Marking Guidelines for Assignment Marking tasks on the Job Board

Make sure to thoroughly read through the assignment instructions (if provided). It often gives you a good idea what the nature of the task is and frames the assignment in context.

This is where the rubric comes in. We encourage all students who submit an assignment to also include a set of marking rubrics. Follow the paradigm given and make sure your comments align with what their teachers are looking for.

The best way to mark an assignment or essay is by downloading it and editing it in Microsoft Word. You can effectively provide feedback via the "Review" tab by selecting "Track Changes," highlighting the text, and then adding comments with "New Comment":

When done properly, your final document to send back to the student should look something like this:

Or, for an essay, like this:

As you can see, there should be constructive comments, each providing the student with information on how to improve their assignment. The comments should be friendly yet critical and detailed, and you should make actionable suggestions on how students can improve.

If you don't happen to have access to Microsoft Word, a great alternative is using Google Docs and using the same editing features to "Suggest Edits" or "Add Comments":

Focusing on Content 

Whilst this varies wildly depending on the assignment you are marking, it’s nonetheless pivotal to ensure that:

1. Ideas are portrayed in a clear and logical way with relevance to the topic
2. Ideas are developed to a sufficiently sophisticated extent

Focusing on Language 

An essay, like any piece of writing, exists at multiple levels of resolution, simultaneously:

1. First is the selection of the word: Each word should be precisely the right word, in the right location in the sentence.
2. Second is the crafting of the sentence: The sentence itself should present a thought, part of the idea expressed in the paragraph, in a grammatically correct manner.
3. Third is the arrangement of sentences in a paragraph: Each sentence should be properly arranged and sequenced inside a paragraph
4. Fourth is the logical sequencing of paragraphs: All the paragraphs have to be arranged in a logical progression, from the beginning of the essay to the end. This is crucial for all three essays in VCE English, not least Language Analysis. Sectioning off the text and analysing them in a logically sound manner is ideal.
5. The fifth level of resolution is the essay, as a whole: every element of an essay can be correct, each word, sentence, and paragraph - even the paragraph order - and the essay can still fail, because it is just not interesting or important. It is very hard for competent but uninspired writers to understand this kind of failure, because your English teacher cannot merely point it out. Such an essay is just not good. On the other hand, a creative student can make the opposite mistake: their word choice is poor, their sentences badly constructed and poorly organised within their paragraphs, their paragraphs in no intelligible relation to one another - and yet the essay as a whole can at least get a B. This is because there are identifiable thoughts entrapped within the essay, wishing desperately to find expression; or, breathe refreshing and exciting ideas into an arid piece of writing.

Always conclude your marking with a small paragraph at the end, tying together everything you have highlighted throughout the assignment. Things you could point out are:

• Quality of ideas
• Referencing
• Relevance to rubric or requirements if provided
• Language and fluency (For Essays)
• Areas of improvement and how to practically improve
• Overall grade

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