Recognize the Purpose of the Discussion Postings

Discussion postings give you and your fellow students an opportunity to get to know each other and to discuss the subject matter of the course. Your virtual discussion postings online will often take the place of discussion that would have taken place in a regular classroom. Many courses require students to post an introduction to themselves. Before introducing yourself, read carefully what the instructor has asked you to say. Has the instructor posted an introduction? If the answer is yes, take your cues about length of post and substance from what the instructor has modeled. Many introduction posts ask you to tell a bit about yourself so that others can get to know you. Is there a picture, a quote, a link to a short video that has special meaning to you?

Read the Discussion Directions Carefully

What exactly are you being asked to comment on? What guidelines has the instructor given? Has the instructor asked you for just a personal reflection? Or has the instructor asked you to refer to the assigned readings and then reflect on them? Has the instructor given you a sample posting or a rubric so that you can see what might be expected and how you will be graded? How many discussion questions are you to answer? What are the due dates? Are you required to post responses to your classmates’ posts?

Prepare Before Reading or Viewing Assigned Materials

Before you read the assigned materials for a module, check to see if discussion postings are required. Write out the discussion questions and have them handy while you are reading. Make note of key points in the reading that might apply to the discussion questions. Reflect on the questions. Do you have personal examples that might relate to the readings and questions? Do you know of other research that might illustrate these concepts?

Think, Reflect and Develop a Point of View.

Before you write, think about the topic and relevant points you would like to make. Can you connect the theories and ideas to real life?

Gather your References

Make sure to reference ideas mentioned in the readings and other research. Be careful to credit others’ ideas where you have paraphrased or quoted.

Write and Check your Response Before Posting

Using the formatting tools in Blackboard or in a word processing application, write out your response. Remember to use standard grammar. Unless your post is about text messaging, it’s best not to use texting short cuts. Remember that written language can easily be misunderstood because there are no facial expressions, voice or body language cues. Read your post out loud before hitting the send button. This will tell you a lot about whether your grammar and sentence structure are correct, your tone is appropriate, and your contribution clear or not.

Be Part of the Conversation

When replying to others posts, remember that saying, “I agree” won’t be enough. Explain what it is that you agree or disagree about and what evidence you have to support your view. It’s OK to disagree, but be respectful and polite.

Post on Time

Many courses will have discussions that are only open for a limited period. You won’t be able to wait until the last week to do all your discussion posts. Check the date and time a discussion will close. Post well before the last date so you can be a part of the conversation.

Don't be Afraid to Ask Questions in the Discussion Forums

The discussions area of an online course is your community resource. Most instructors provide a Discussion area for Course Questions and/or Technical Questions. If you have a question about how an assignment works, how to submit an assignment, due dates or any other content or technical questions, create a discussion topic, and post your question there. If you have a question, it's likely that others may have the same question. By posting to the Discussion areas, your question could be answered by your instructor or by another student in the course.