General Guidelines for Online Discussions
Please see Grading (to your left on your screen)
for more specific instructions and Guidelines for what is expected
of you as a discussion leader.
To enter the classroom click on Blackboard to your left.
1. Not only respond to my questions, but carry on a dialogue
with your classmates as well. This is one of the items that make
a good online course and established community. If you only respond
to my question it makes our discussion more of an "exam"
rather than a dialogue.
2. Do not get caught up in "winning" the debate. We are here to learn the material, have fun, and
to discuss matters of importance (at least I think so) with others.
3. Read all postings from your classmates, not just those from the teacher. This will take time.
4. If you have questions over the reading material (or audios) ask those as soon as possible. These
could be either things you do not understand, disagree with, or agree with.
5. When you reply to a post, don't just say "I agree". Give the person or persons name you
are agreeing with, a brief, sentence or two summary of what they said you are
agreeing with, and then your views. You might also consider changing the subject line to reflect your posts.
6. Have at least one response completed by Noon
on Monday and the remaining responses and/or observations by the
following Thursday morning. Two posts is the minimum so more is
expected for a discussion grade of "C". Late posts do
not count and thus a poor grade is recorded. You should also plan
on posting on more than one or even two days in order to allow yourself
to stay involved with the class.
7. Try to keep each post to no more than two or three screens. I will do the same.
8. If you express an opinion support it with material
from our readings or videos and audio if applicable. When you quote,
summarize, or paraphrase from the book be sure to give the page
number(s)-- This is important!
9. When in doubt, ask me or your classmates. Feel free to raise questions in class; this does help your class participation grade.
10. If you do not participate in our class discussions you will not be allowed to receive
the exams or submit any assignments. This is not a correspondence course. If you cannot participate at least
twice most weeks, then you should withdraw from the course
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