Assessment criteria for a contextual essay (checklist)
CONTENT
- Music is at the center of attention
- Analysis is a substantial part of the essay, including harmonic-contrapuntal aspects
- The treatment of the subject is contextual; relevant connections are made to extramusical domains
- The knowledgedomains of contextual studies are used: historical (general, musical, cultural) and aspects of harmony and counterpoint
PRODUCT
- There is a title page
- The title (and subtitle if present) refer to the chosen subject
- There is a correct table of contents with correct page numbers
- The table of contents and the used levels in the table of contents are meaningful and contribute to the orientation of the reader
- There is an introduction in which motivation for and choice of the subject, focus question and subquestions are presented in a clear way
- The essay concludes with a conlusion/discussion/resume and a critical reflection on the research
- There is a list of sources edited according to the APA system
- In the main text correct references are made to used sources according to the APA system
- Size: to write something substantial you will need at least 5000 words, but everybody knows it is perfectly possible to say absolutely nothing even with 10.000 words…
PROCESS
- The orientation on the subject is clearly documented
- The search for sources is clearly documented
- The choice of sources is motivated
- There has been contact with the teacher about content and process
