Evaluations

1. Evaluations Brandon Mejia, Victor Bahena, Vince Li, Monica Ventura

2. What is it? Everyday arguments in which one weighs the benefits of two or more options, then chooses the most beneficial in their eyes Examples include: Deciding which outfit to wear for a job interview, choosing what to eat for a well balanced diet, or which contestant to voter for on The Voice.

3. Criteria of Evaluation Every time we evaluate an option we use a particular set of standards in order to judge which is ultimately the better option. These standards are known as Criteria of Evaluation. Criteria of evaluation differ from person to person. For instance a republican’s criteria for an ideal congressman will differ from that of a democrat.

4. Characterizing Evaluation Quantitative Qualitative Opinionated • Fact Based

5. Quantitative Evaluations Criteria of evaluation is supported by facts and hard evidence that can be measured, counted, etc. Commonly used when the argument at hand can be physically measured. Example: Who is the tallest in the class? Which car is the fastest? However quantitative evaluations can sometimes be challenged. Such as IQ scores. While IQ is given a tangible score, the criteria for this score was made by people who’s methods may be flawed. In other words the criteria are questioned, “What determines a person’s intelligence?”

6. Qualitative Evaluation Criteria of evaluation is tricky because it is supported by personal opinion. Example: What is the best movie ever? No one person can choose the absolute best movie or the world’s most comfortable chair. When asked these questions, every individual person will compile qualities that they deem appropriate to consider something the best. (i.e. The movies that made the most money or the movie with the most A list actors.)

7. Developing an Evaluative Argument Establish Criteria State your Claim Present your Evidence

8. Formulating Criteria List the essential criteria you seem fit to include in your evaluation. Anticipate any claims that may challenge your claim and have rebuttals to counter those challenges. Be sure your criteria apply to more than just your criteria. Tailoring the criteria to have bias toward your outcome is known as “special pleading”. Criteria can make or break an evaluation.

9. Making Claims Claims are often stated directly. For example someone could say “Fast and Furious 6 is the best movie ever.” (Because it is.) This is an obvious claim. The claim is often followed by a reasonable statement that helps to support it. For instance “Fast and Furious 6 is the best movie everbecause it broke box office records.” All claims should be reasonable not solely driven by opinion.

10. Presenting Evidence Research your topic!!! The more evidence an evaluation has the better ground it holds, making it difficult to challenge. Choose evidence that is specific, detailed, memorable, and cited from a credible source. Utilize visuals in a quantitative claim, such as graphs, statistics, data, etc. Visuals also help when comparing items, such as a chart comparing the safety tests between two vehicles. Every aspect of the visual should be appealing. (i.e. color, font, header, etc.)

11. Example CLAIM: Citizen Kane is the finest film ever made by an American director… EVIDENCE: …because it revolutionizes the way we see the world. Great films change viewers in fundamental ways. Shot after shot Citizen Kane presents the life of its protagonist through cinematic images that viewers can never forget.