Review

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Online ECSP 533

Discussion Guidelines– Missouri Baptist University

Participation in online discussion groups is mandatory/graded in this class. Please review the

this document carefully. The guidelines and due dates are provided in modules. Note that

the syllabus indicates that late postings will receive a grade of zero. The discussion board is

designed for dialogue, reflection, and feedback about our readings as part of this class.

How to post to the discussion board within MyMBULearn / Canvas:

 Access the week’s discussion, either through the Module for the week (easiest) or through the Discussions tab, clicking on the week’s discussion

 Click on the “Reply” box, which will open a text editing box in which you can type your name / week information, your school / district / grade header, and then your questions

and responses

 To reply to someone’s thread, click on their thread, read the posting, and click on Reply

 For more detailed guidance, access Help in Canvas by clicking Help in the upper right- hand corner of your window, then Search the Canvas Guides, then Student Guide, then

Discussions

Participation in online threaded discussions:

Online discussions are our class sessions for the eight weeks of this course, and as such are a

critical part of our shared learning experience. This is the opportunity for you to share your

thoughts from the readings, ask questions of one another, relate the concepts to your daily

teaching experiences, and learn from the experiences of your classmates. You will participate in

6 discussion board cycles throughout the term. The questions for discussion are designed to

help guide your understanding of what the reading assignment is about, the purpose of the

assignment, and the content you should take from the reading to help you as a teacher in the

classroom or as a supporter of classroom teachers.

There is the overarching expectation that your postings are substantive, presenting new thoughts

and ideas. The purpose is not simply to repeat what you read or reiterate what your

classmates have shared. Support your comments with related links, personal experiences,

and sources, including direct reference to specific points in your texts. When you respond,

respond thoughtfully, and support your statements. Read the instructions and criteria below

closely.

1. Students should complete at least two posting cycles each week, on two or more separate days: the initial posting is your thoughts based directly on the week’s questions or topic,

and responses are your feedback to postings of at least two other students within their

discussion threads, responding to a variety of classmates throughout the 8-week term.

Feel free to include questions that are brought up by your readings; others may have

some ideas to help.

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2. You are expected to read the postings of all of your classmates and are encouraged to respond to more than the minimum number (at least 2 per week, as noted in each week’s

discussion) required. Remember that these are the equivalent of our in-class discussions.

3. Response postings build on the postings of others. 4. Postings present your own ideas and personal examples of application of ideas being

studied in the course, such as in your (or others’) classroom experiences. As stated above,

original thought and application of this material should be demonstrated through your

thoughtful, original posts.

5. Postings are clearly and professionally written, with proper spelling and grammar.

Initial postings are due by Thursday evening at 6:00 PM. Response postings are due by

Sunday evening at 6:00 PM. Late postings to discussion boards will receive a grade of zero.

Classmates are not required to respond to late postings.

Grading criteria for online threaded discussions:

- Timely submission of significant, well-written initial post responses. - Respectful, thoughtful agreement or disagreement in responses, valuing diversity of

thought and making original writer feel that statements and opinions are valued.

- Thoughtful questions tied to the application of our course readings. - Evidence of analytical thought demonstrating clear understanding of the topics explored. - Original insights or ideas shared. - Support provided for your rationale, including outside sources / links and personal

experiences.

- Each response (for each initial question or follow up) should be composed of at least 4 thorough, well written sentences.

- Avoid generalized blanket statements such as good, nice, great, etc., and avoid repeating statements and ideas from previous posters. We want to hear your thoughts.

- Postings made on multiple days. Students will be graded down if both postings and responses are all made on the same day. Discussion board cycles are meant to encourage

repeated visiting of course material throughout the week.

- Quality of professional writing.

With these criteria in mind, discussion board cycle scores will be assigned weekly as:

15 points (good) – fully meet criteria

10 points (fair) – meets most of the criteria

5 points (needs much improvement) – meets none of the criteria or is very wide of the

mark.

Format of your initial postings:

Reflect on the required readings / discussion topic and answer each of the questions posed by the

instructor for that week, in your own words. When you refer to material from an outside source,

please cite it so that all readers can access the material.

- It is expected that you will write your response of at least one well-structured and succinct paragraph (4+ sentences) for each question.

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- It is expected that you will close your post with at least one additional follow-up question raised in your mind by the readings. Be clear and explicit. This will give your classmates

something concrete to respond / reply to, in addition to the thoughts you present.

- While you are encouraged to draft your postings in Word or a similar tool to allow for thorough editing, please write / copy the text for your post into the discussion board

thread, rather than posting an attachment. This makes it quick and easy for your readers to

access.

- You are strongly encouraged to revisit your own discussion thread throughout the week and keep the discussion going by responding to the comments made by your classmates.

Format of your responses to postings: Picture yourself in a classroom discussion

- Respond to at least two of your classmates individually. Comment on his / her writing or respond to his / her questions(s) about the reading: e.g., state how you would answer the

specific question, provide a resource that will help the person further explore the question,

explain what you have done in similar situations, etc.

- Expectation: It is expected that you will write at least one well-structured and succinct paragraph (4+ sentences) per response. Responses are due within 3 days after the initial

posting date, as noted in due dates below.

Please note that the points for small group discussion will not be posted to grade center until all

postings for the week have been completed.