Discussion Postings for an EC course?

[hoagland]

Hi,

I have started my first EC course a couple weeks ago. In my course, you have to post an inital response to each discussion board question and respond to two of other classmates postings in those DB questions. I am struggling with the latter. Does anyone have any tips on what they are probably looking for when I respond to a classmate's posting or how I should respond? Do they want critque of a posting, how what a classmate said helped you, etc? Thanks for any help!!!

`Dakota

[P00057870]

Hopefully Marianne202 will see this post, so lets keep it going. I know she has taken these type of EC courses recently and perhaps she can help you with what her instructors have looked for.


I have/am taking online courses with UWF and my instructor has similar requirements for discussions each week. In our subject matter it has not been difficult to post an interaction. Think of it as trying to simulate the type of discussions that might take place in a face-to-face class. Follow the same courtesies, be careful how you state things. There can be agreement with subject matter posted or disagreement but be courteous and professional in your terminology. If someone else's posting has made you see a subject in a different light, you can share that and perhaps state why.

Just a few suggestions to get you up and going. There is no necessity to make this difficult -- they are just looking for interactions between students and to see that the students are thinking about what is happening. Remember, we will often learn more from one another than from just reading a textbook. eeya:

[CLEP101]

Hi,

I have started my first EC course a couple weeks ago. In my course, you have to post an inital response to each discussion board question and respond to two of other classmates postings in those DB questions. I am struggling with the latter. Does anyone have any tips on what they are probably looking for when I respond to a classmate's posting or how I should respond? Do they want critque of a posting, how what a classmate said helped you, etc? Thanks for any help!!!

`Dakota

Dakota,
I just finished 3 courses with EC. The way I did it was first answer the discussion question, treat it like an essay question. Find your facts to support your answer when posting the initial response. I usually kept it between 150 to 250 words. Depending on how much info I found.

When responding to classmates, I usually kept it under 150 words. You either agree or disagree with your classmates, and if you disagree, support your argument with facts and references, or make clear that your argument is your opinion.

If you find something they said interesting, I usually followed up on that by responding with additional info on that particular point.

Anyways, that's what I did and I passed all my classes with A's.
Good luck in your course.

Hope this helps,

[Scholar Interrupted]

I took an EC online course last year (HIS440) and made an "A," including scoring very well on the discussion board part. By the end of the term, there were only 4 of us left in the class, which made the discussion board ever more of a challenge. What's already been said here is all good, and I would add:

• Not all of your classmates will post substantive essays. Some will ramble, or if they don't really understand the material, they'll bluff. One person in my class would just post one-liners making fun of the material! All of this can make it hard to find something in their posts that you can respond to. When this happens, just seize on one or two keywords in their answer, and take the ball and run with it. Start with an opener like, "Yes, Joe, you're right that ___ is important, and I think that . . . ." Don't worry too much about relating back to what they said; just talk about the same topic.
  
  
• Whenever you agree with someone, definitely respond and explain how what they said clarifies your understanding. Also, don't hesitate to ask another student to expound further on something he seems to have an especially good grasp of.
  
  
• If you disagree with someone's interpretation or position, tread with care, especially if it's a touchy subject. As much as humanly possible, frame your response as an addition to rather than a correction of the other student's post. When you disagree profoundly with another student's post, it might be best to skip that one and respond to someone else. Remember, it's a class, not a debating tournament. You have nothing at stake except getting a good grade -- and that doesn't require fisticuffs.
  

One more thing, and this isn't exactly what you asked, but keep in mind that you don't have any other info about your classmates than their names and whatever they say in their intro posts. One of my classmates assumed I was a white male and came close to accusing me of being a racist and a sexist -- albeit in the nicest possible terms! Little did that person know I'm female and my mother-in-law is Mexican.

[MISin08]

I'm in my 2nd class at EC and I've taken several other online classes in the past 2 years. The other posts above are great, not much I can add. One thing I have found helpful is to watch carefully for people who are as engaged as I am (I can usually tell by what they write in the "introductions" topic at the start of class). Watch their postings for topics to build on. When they realize you want to play too the discussions can get fun.

I agree responses don't need to be lengthy, and it's not about debate, the way things can get get in forums outside of school! But answering substantively -- more than "I agree" will go a long way with your prof . There are usually a few who don't speak up so much and I try to engage them by picking up some detail and asking them more about it.

If the class is business or technical, people usually relate the posting to their experience, and it's pretty easy to offer your experience in contrast (example: they work for a defense contractor, I work for a bank, both do forecasts<the discussion topic>, different environments leads to very different emphasis).

Phillip

[hoagland]

Thanks so much everyone for the comments and advice you all have given!! I was starting to get a bit depressed with trying to respond to others in the course, but now I feel so much better about it. All the advice and posts are great. I have tried some of the techniques already and now am responding full-force ahead.

`Dakota

[marianne202]

I'm in my 5th class with EC and have found each instructor is looking for something different. I would first say to look at the grading rubric for your discusison postings. This will guide you to what they expect. My current instructor expects all posts to follow APA format! This is the first one that has required this format, even my writing class didn't require this. If you can support your response with the readings then reference them. I have always scored very well on the discussion portion of my grade and even had one instructor who told me to post less! I try to respond to the other students by asking questions or posing an alternative view. That will then usually encourage more responses. I think what instructors are looking for is a way to get the students to interact and discuss the topics. If you have personal experiences with the subject I would encourage you to include some examples or scenarios. Those seem to be helpful, especially for those that may be struggling understanding the concepts. Good luck. Just remember to check the grading rubric for each class so you know the specifics you will be graded on for that class.

[hoagland]

My course is the same as this EC course as yours, Marianne, with all DB postings having to be in APA format and citations on everything. Even for the course material, I have to add it as a reference if I use it in my post (even if I don't directly quote it). The DB is worth 20% of my grade which is the highest percentage of anything. Anyway, it's nice to know that each instructor expects different things - for I am going to take a couple more this summer. Thanks!

`Dakota