Types of Discussion Boards

There are a couple of types of discussion boards in this course: graded and non-graded.

Graded discussion boards are about content covered during the course. The grading rubric for these discussions is in that section below.

Non-graded discussion boards include:

1. Course Content Questions Board: This forum is for general questions about course content. Your instructor or TA will monitor the discussion board and provide feedback. Feel free to assist each other in this forum.
   

• Classroom Café: This forum is a place to socialize with classmates. You can also use this discussion board to finish a conversation that drifted off-topic elsewhere in a module discussion.

What Makes a Good Post?

• Submit initial post(s) early in the week, and subsequent responses to the posts of other learners at timely intervals throughout the duration of the course. The goal is to have a dynamic discussion around the topic that lasts throughout the entire course.
• Posts and responses should be thorough and thoughtful. Just posting an "I agree" or "Good ideas" will not be considered adequate. Support statements with examples, experiences, or references.
• Be brief—keep each post and response to one or two short paragraphs (75-150 words). Keep in mind that fellow learners will be reading and responding to you, too.
• Make certain that all posts and responses address the question, problem, or situation as presented for discussion. This does not mean you should not extend the topic, but do not stray from the topic.
• Discussions occur when there is dialogue; therefore, you need to build upon the posts and responses of other learners to create discussion threads. Make sure to revisit the discussion forum and respond (if necessary) to what other learners have posted to your initial responses.
• When relevant, add to the discussion by including prior knowledge, work experiences, references, web sites, resources, etc. (giving credit when appropriate).
• Examples of postings that demonstrate higher levels of thinking:
  • “Some common themes I see between your experiences and our textbook are….” (analysis)
  • “These newer trends are significant if we consider the relationship between ….” (synthesis)
  • “The body of literature should be assessed by these standards ….” (evaluation)

Discussion Forum Etiquette

Distance conveys a degree of anonymity, and as a result, many people feel less inhibited in online situations than in their everyday lives. This lessening of inhibitions sometimes leads people to drop their normal standards of decorum when communicating online. Become familiar with the following guidelines about discussion forum behavior.

• Use appropriate language. Excessive use of “chat” or “instant messaging” jargon is not acceptable for online discussions.
• Read existing follow-up postings and don’t repeat what has already been said.
• Inappropriate or offensive language, especially comments that might be construed as racist or sexist, are not appropriate and will be dealt with on an individual basis.
• Be careful with humor and sarcasm. One person’s humorous comment can be another person’s boorish or degrading remark.
• Do not use all caps in an online environment. Using all caps is considered SHOUTING.
• Remember that there are other human beings reading your postings, so treat everyone with respect. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t be willing to communicate face to face.

Feedback

The discussion forums are an opportunity for you to share your thoughts and experiences and learn from your peers in the course. For most professional development courses, the instructor and TAs do not provide feedback to discussion forum posts.