summarize the argument

Forum Discussions/Learning Responses

Communication courses, even online, require interactions between participants. This class

allows for discussion amongst all class participants through forum discussions. These

discussions are a required part of online courses, specifically this course, and make up a large

part of the grade for the course. There will be at least one forum discussion each week and

sometimes two.

Forum discussions/learning responses will open on Monday morning and close the following

Sunday at 11:59 pm. Initial posts to the forum are due by Wednesday of any given week to

allow for discussion throughout the rest of the week. You will always be required to respond to

at least two other forum posts for discussions (two is the minimum, which is average work).

Your responses should also be made throughout the week, not all on the same day.

Some forums will be Learning Responses, not discussions. Learning responses are designed to

measure your understanding of a particular theory or unit and do NOT require a response to

others. Make sure you read the instructions for each forum assignment to know if you are

engaging in a discussion or a response. You may respond to others in learning responses, but it

is not required.

● Initial posts should answer all of the questions posed in the discussion prompt, and be

written academically, using in-text citations and an APA reference list at the end of the

post. These are not opinion or journal responses - they are assignments that

demonstrate your knowledge of the topics being discussed. Please read the rubric to

best understand how points are assigned to learning responses. Posts should create

discussion and provide support for the arguments you make in the posts.

● Responses to posts need to be made using the reply button. This will keep discussions

threaded and make discussions easier to follow. Do not create a new post to reply to

someone. Reply posts should promote discussion as well. Responses such as “I agree”,

“That’s cool,” or “I like your answer” are not sufficient. While you may agree or disagree

with a post, you need to develop the reply to include why you agree or disagree. If you

agree, you should indicate what you agree with and then add new material (an “and

also” thought or point), ask questions, or create more discussion about posts. If you

disagree, you should point out specifically what you disagree with, provide an alternate

perspective, and provide support for that perspective. If someone asks you a pointed

question, you should answer that question.

Your grade for discussion forums (except for the Self Introduction Forum) will be based on the

rubric below or a similar rubric. Please familiarize yourself with the scoring procedure to

maximize your score on each forum.

Instructors will participate in forums at different levels. In some forums, I will post an initial

answer as well as participate in the discussion. Sometimes I may not participate at all. If your

forum post is lacking something I may prompt you to add to it, and I will intervene if discussions

become inappropriate.

Disagreement (even with me) is acceptable in discussions, but please follow the rules of

etiquette from the syllabus for all forum posts.