This resource gives you specific information about what is expected of students as they participate in online discussions. Because this is the most difficult task to replicate in a virtual classroom, yet a vital component, you must take more time and consideration in your posts to questions and to each other in the online forum. Please take time to read this reference before you participate in an online discussion:

Online Discussion Guidelines and Grading Criteria

Posting

The great advantage of online discussion is that it can happen almost anytime, anywhere; it can deepen your understanding of the course material, and it can help you forge stronger connections with your classmates.

You will be required to post once to respond to the issue(s) presented, and at least twice to one or more of your peers. All posts are required to be substantive and advance or re-frame the discussion in some way. In other words, you must do more than say “I agree” or “I disagree,” and you must not merely restate what someone else says.

Use the chart below to help construct your responses:

Expressing an Opinion Predicting
I think/believe that . . . I guess/predict/imagine that . . .
It seems to me that . . . Based on . . ., I infer that . . .
In my opinion . . . I hypothesize that . . .

Asking for Clarification Paraphrasing
What do you mean? So you are saying that . . .
Will you explain that again? In other words, you think . . .

I have a question about that. What I hear you saying is . . .

Soliciting a Response Acknowledging Ideas
What do you think? My idea is similar to/related to
We haven’t heard from you yet. ____’s idea.
Do you agree? I agree with (a person) that . . .
What answer did you get? My idea builds upon ____’s idea

Include Everyone!

The first person who posts often gets the most responses. That’s not really fair to those who post later. Therefore, you can read the earlier posts but respond to those who have not yet received at least 2 posts first. You are also able to respond back to the students who respond to you. Make sure that you periodically check the discussion boards even after your submissions have been graded.

Community Standards and “Netiquette”

Your posts are not formal essays, but neither are they private conversations. You will not be held accountable for the formal standards of academic writing (grammar, usage, mechanics), but you will be expected to write as clearly as you can. Remember, whenever you write you are sending two messages. One is contained in the content of your message. But you are also sending a second message to your readers regarding who you are as a writer and thinker. You always want to write as well as you can because you want your readers to see you as a careful thinker and writer. Sloppy writing may leave readers with the impression that you have not taken the time needed to craft a carefully worded post. Crafting your messages in a word processing program and then cutting and pasting your messages into the discussion board is a good idea. This forces you to slow down and also gives you the chance to edit carefully.

You are also required to adhere to the norms of online courtesy and collegiality, summed up generally as “netiquette” http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

Consistently inappropriate posting by any student will be treated similarly to consistently inappropriate classroom behavior, and may result in that student’s being barred from further online discussion in the class, with a resulting loss of the participation grade for the course. Please see me if you have any questions about this.

Grading**

Since participation in all online activities counts for 20% of your overall grade, our online threaded discussions will count for a significant part of that overall piece of your grade. I will be participating in all threaded discussions and I will read all the posts throughout the term.

Appropriate length
Relevance to topic
Evidence of thought/reflection (i.e. reactions have their time and place in the online discussion, but so do extended thought and analysis)
Evidence of critical thinking (i.e. these discussion topics ought to elicit some analysis on your part: ask questions, and more questions; post some explanations, hypotheses, original ideas. What do you think?)
Temporal placement (i.e. do your posts all come in the last 20 minutes before the deadline for ending a particular discussion, or is there evidence of sustained engagement over time?)
Collegiality — adherence to the norms of courtesy appropriate in academic (but informal) discussion

The rubric on the next page may help you gauge your performance. (I will be using this rubric to assess your performance in our online discussions.)

** If you respond to the discussion board AFTER you have received a grade, you need to inform your teacher to go back and review your responses by sending an inbox message: "I have responded to other posts on discussion # -----."

Standards Measured:

Online Discussions (20% OF GRADE)

Online Discussions (20%) (10)

Criteria

Ratings

Pts

Contribution

5.0 pts

Fully engaged

The student contributed fully. Temporal placement suggests supported engagement with the discussion.

4.0 pts

Acceptable

The student’s level of participation was acceptable/of average value. Initial posts may not occur in time for others to read and respond.

3.0 pts

Minimal

The student hardly contributed or the student’s posts all came in the final few minutes before the deadline for ending a particular discussion. Student barely responded to other posts, or failed to do so at all.

5.0 pts

Rhetorical Value

5.0 pts

Fully Engaged

The student showed initiative, interpreted, synthesized, integrated various ideas, backed up opinions with concrete examples and references to course materials, or redirected the discussion.

4.0 pts

Acceotable

The student contributed more than just facts, and responded to the implications of other students' ideas.

3.0 pts

Minimal

The student’s contribution was unacceptable and did not meet expectations. Posts were cursory rather than substantive. Posts show significant gaps in conceptual understanding of question or prompt. Content may be inappropriate. Student did not respond to the posts of others or may have done so in a cursory manner.

5.0 pts

Interaction

5.0 pts

Fully Engaged

Responded substantively to 2 or more classmates.

4.0 pts

Acceptable

Responded partially or moderately to 2 or more students.

3.0 pts

Minimal

Responded to only one fellow student's post.

0.0 pts

None

Did not respond to fellow students' posts or simply agreed with other students' posts.

5.0 pts

Total Points: 15.0