Case Analysis Guidelines and Rubric

 This course contains five Case Analysis assignments. You should begin working on these early. It is very important to focus on continuous improvement throughout the course. Failure to make corrections based on the instructor’s feedback for each case analysis will result is a significantly lower score in subsequent case. Therefore, based on the instructor’s feedback on each case, you are expected to exhibit continuous improvement in each of the following cases.

 There are basic rules about a case analysis to follow. First, do not submit them in question and answer format which is not appropriate for case analyses. Your case analyses must be composed in essay format and adhere to the following APA style and formatting guidelines, which will help ensure a solid grade on your first case analysis.

1.      Include a title page containing case name, course identification, date, your name, and your instructor’s name.

2.      An abstract is not necessary in a short case analysis.

3.      Write your case analysis in essay style with a tabbed first line in each paragraph. Make sure to address each case question thoroughly. You are suggested to commit a minimum of one paragraph to answer each question, two if necessary.

4.      The content of your analysis must be at least 1,000 words. This does not include the title page, main document, and sources in the Reference section.

5.      The case analysis must include at least three heading sections such as Introduction or Background, Current Issues or Issues Addressed, and Conclusion or Recommendations. The names of the headings are at your discretion but must help the reader better understand your analysis.

6.      The document must be double-spaced, the font must be in Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman, and the font size must be 12-point. There should be no extra white space anywhere in your document which includes line breaks and/or page breaks. The document must have one inch margins all around.

7.      Include a References section with your sources. Do not use the terms Bibliography or Works Cited.

8.      Include and cite at least three scholarly sources for each case, and list these in the References section. There must also be at least five citations throughout your document with at least one being a “direct quote.”

The aforementioned items must be followed in all assigned cases. Not adhering to these guidelines will result in deductions from your overall score. Hence, all of the aforementioned factors are used in grading your cases. Additionally, the rubric on the following page will be used to grade your case analysis. You are strongly recommended to print this document for reference.

Submit the assigned Case Analysis to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT of the module in which it is due. (Each Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

Case Analysis Grading Rubric

Ratings:

Exceptional corresponds to an A (90-100). Performance is outstanding; significantly above the usual expectations.

Proficient corresponds to a grade of B- to B+ (80-89%). Skills are at the level of expectation.

Basic corresponds to a C to C+ (70-79%). Skills are acceptable but improvements are needed to meet expectations well. Novice corresponds to a D to C- (60-69%). Performance is weak; the skills are not sufficiently demonstrated at this time. 0 This criterion is missing or not in evidence.

Competency

Ratings and Points

0

Novice

Basic

Proficient

Exceptional

1. Proficiency, Knowledge,
and Research Depth (20% of total score)

0-11

Does not
use readings and research sources
to support
premises.

12-13

Alludes to the readings and research sources to support
premises.

14-15

Refers to specific examples and theories from the readings to support premises.

16-17

Supports premises with specific examples and theories from a diverse source of readings and research sources.

18-20

2. Synthesis, Analysis, and Comprehension (20% of total score)

0-11

Does not integrate personal observations or knowledge.

12-13

Integrates personal observations and knowledge in a cursory manner.

14-15

Integrates personal observations and knowledge in an accurate way.

16-17

Integrates personal observations and knowledge in an accurate and highly insightful way.

18-20

3. Demonstration of Theory Knowledge and Usage

(25% of total score)

0-14

Theoretical terminology is ignored or misused.

15-16

Terminology partially matches
the textbook and class material.

17-19

Terminology matches the textbook and class material completely.

20-22

Terminology matches. Messages are

crisp and persuasive.

23-25

4. Organization, formulation, logic, and Identification of Key Points

(15% of total score)

0-8

Content is disorganized, points of response are not distinct, and information is not logically sequenced.

9

Content is somewhat disorganized, points of response are
distinct, but information is not logically sequenced.

10-11

Content is organized, points of response are distinct, and
information is logically sequenced.

12-13

Content is organized, points of response are distinct, and information is logically sequenced; key points
are made obvious.

14-15

5. Grammar, Composition, Word Choice,
Sentence Structure, and Terminology

(10% of total score)

0-5

Word choice and sentence structure are not suitable for university level
work.

6

Word choice and sentence structure are not suitable for graduate level
work.

7

Word choice and sentence structure are suitable for graduate level work.

8

Word choice and sentence structure are suitable for graduate level work.

9-10

6. Formatting, Layout,

& APA Style

(10% of total score)

0-5

Regular grammar, composition, and APA errors that create
an obstacle.

6

Periodic grammar, composition, and APA errors.

7

Minimal grammar, composition, and APA errors.

8

Errors are rare.

9-10

Total

100

Note: Competencies 1-3 account for 65% of the total score; competencies 4-6 account for 35% of the total score.