Online Discussion Postings

To receive full credit for participation, you will make one post that addresses all of the given questions/prompts (posted in the discussion board in Turnitin) and respond to one posting from another student (of course you are encouraged to respond more than once). You will conduct your online discussions in/with Turnitin. Postings should be completed by the due date indicated on the Assignments Schedule, by 11:55 PM.

Turnitin does not allow late postings, and these assignments cannot be made up.

Netiquette is a term coined specifically for Internet communication and is exactly what it sounds like: etiquette for the Net. Students are expected to exhibit good manners based on respect and honesty.

The following rubric applies to both the original post and to the response/follow-up post.

Full Credit (Exemplary)	Half Credit (Sufficient)	Less than Half Credit (Weak) or No Credit
Demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the reading(s).	Clear the student has read the material, but the post could be more substantive and specific.	Post does not relate to the topic(s)/reading(s) at all—irrelevant or completely off topic. No demonstration of comprehension of reading(s).
Rich, critical (deep), thought-provoking, original, and insightful; prompts additional discussion; establish new connections between topics/ideas; includes novel connections to outside material (from other parts of the class, other classes, or other sources).	Somewhat obvious or simplistic; could be more insightful but some thought-provoking points; demonstrate average knowledge and understanding of the reading(s).	Offer no further insight into the topic(s)/reading(s)--way too obvious or simplistic; shallow comments; way too much summary.
Fully supported by the reading(s); cite specific examples from reading(s).	Need more support and examples from reading(s).	No specific references to the reading(s); based strictly on opinion without any support from the reading(s).
Relatively free of grammatical errors; dynamic, fresh, vivid, sophisticated, and mature writing; extremely concise and precise (words superiorly capture the spirit behind them).	Occasional awkward word or sentence; a few grammatical errors; a few problems that interfere with comprehension; overall, style and writing could have more punch, cleverness, and originality.	Poor spelling and grammar in most posts; unsophisticated and immature (i.e., not college level) word choice and sentence construction; post appear "hasty."
Points are fully developed/explained, and comments/answers are appropriate length.	Most points are fully developed/explained— comments/answers are somewhat short.	Most points are underdeveloped, and comments/answers are way too short.

****Posts are not graded on a scale of “right” or “wrong” but on the specificity, sophistication of thought, and insightfulness of posts.

General Guidelines for Online Discussions:

1. Do not only respond to discussion questions/prompts, but carry on a dialogue with your classmates as well. This is a discussion, not just a question and answer session.

2. Reply to a post that does not already have a response.

3. Post your initial comments as early as possible and then check back for responses and other posts.

4. Each answer to the questions WITHIN a post should be 2-4 sentences long.

5. Response/follow-up post should be a full paragraph in length.

6. Responses must provide evidence that you understand and have considered your classmate’s comments/answers (i.e., your response is thoughtful and thought-provoking). The response post may address your classmate's answer to a specific question within his/her post, or you may generally respond to his/her set of answers/comments.

7. Even after the due date for a discussion post has passed, still check the discussion topic for responses or “answers” from the instructor.

8. The posts you create are class work, and must be treated as such. Remember, these posts are graded. Use of foul language, swears, slang, or derogatory remarks will result in zero points/credit for the posting, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken in accordance with school policies.