RUBRIC: Discussion Board-Grade Standards
There is a lot of information presented here and I don't expect it will be all read through in one sitting. This information has been set up in sections for you to review as needed. For the first few weeks of class I expect that you will have an understanding of the information presented in the first six sections. The other information is to complement your weekly grades and feedback I will be sending to you.
Contents:
Expectations for above average weekly grades/scores
Generalized Breakdowns of Grades
Note: All of the following discussion board categories are very important for receiving full credit each week.
1. Initial Questions = responding to the first questions posted by the instructor on Saturday of each week.
Important Note: Sometimes these initial questions will be posted inside the Discussion Board forum, sometimes they will be only set up as suggested topics to discuss in the Discussion Board description/instructions for that week. Most of the time, the students will be the leaders posting on issues/topics brought up in the lectures. I highly encourage students to address the lectures from their own viewpoints and experiences.
2. Response Postings = responding to other student postings.
3. New Threads = new postings created by students that directly address the lecture topics and/or instructor questions.
4. Reflection Postings = a posting at the end of the week where the student reflects on the week long discussion forum.
5. Additional Participation Requirements = some weeks will have other participation requirements that will affect your total weekly scores.
Academic Discourse: What does it mean to post to a college course Discussion Board? (The formal/informal processing of class topics.)
Many of us are familiar with posting on an Internet Discussion Board or comments to a blog or in a personal email or through Instant Messenger to our friends, but it is very important to know that this is a different type of forum. As with any scholarly/academic discussion that happens within a classroom setting, there are certain ways of communicating amongst your peers. The forums in this class are set up to allow us as a larger Learning Community to explore the ideas presented each week, and for you to individually offer new insights into the topics. This means that there is to be a collegial and rigorous level of discourse occurring at all times.
For your interactions with other students, it is expected that there is to be a respect shown to various viewpoints and experiences. This does not mean we have to agree with each other, indeed my expectation is that we are challenging each other's and our own ideas, and that we are building upon disagreements and agreements to create a shared body of knowledge each week.
Additionally, as with any academic forum of research and discourse there are certain expectations for the ways in which a student approaches the course materials. This means that we are going beyond the personal and very informal discussion that is found in other venues and each student is able to:
- Frame a central question and/or argument that is then backed up with proper evidence of topic knowledge and also includes original thinking about possible answers to the question/argument (even if this means you may later re-frame and change your first posed question/argument).
- Analyze all topics presented by the instructor and other students in a critical fashion, which goes beyond simple agreeing/disagreeing statements.
- Interpret connections between multiple topic areas and/or author arguments to form new insights into the materials covered.
- Research and use outside resources to back up arguments and statements, and research sources that demonstrate the student is well versed in the literature about the topic areas.
- Classify the topics and sources into easy to understand descriptions of the concepts presented each week.
- Articulate thoughts, arguments, topic connections, sources, and other statements into a cohesive and detailed writing in which proper grammar and writing structures allow for easy reader understanding of even the most complex of ideas.
- Pose questions to the learning community for further consideration and research.
What this really comes down to is Critical Thinking. If you feel that your thoughts are not being understood by me (as instructor) and/or your colleagues on the Discussion Board, I highly recommend reviewing the Critical Thinking Model ("Elements and Standards" Online Model). With your computer mouse roll over each section and explore how well your arguments and thoughts are fitting into the categories found within each slice of the circle. Read through the descriptions and questions that come up and apply them to your critical thinking within your Discussion Board postings.
A well cultivated critical thinker:
- raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and
precisely;- gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to
interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;- thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought,
- recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and
- communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism. (Scriven, M., & Paul, P. Retrieved April 21, 2008, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.cfm)
Expectations for above average weekly grades/scores:
For a higher 'Discussion Board' grade you need to post early in the week. I look for anywhere from two to four posts, either New Threads or Response Postings, before Wednesday at midnight (11:50p.m.) for an A grade.
This does not mean that you need to get all of your postings in before Wednesday at midnight. In actuality, I expect students to be posting actively throughout the entire week. It is up to you to keep the discussion threads going.
After your first postings for the week make sure to post other new threads and respond to other students ’ posts throughout the week.
I expect that for an 'A' grade (10/9) the student has read the lecture materials by Wednesday of each week, and that their participation in the Discussion Board has begun by this time. This may mean that you might not have answered all the Initial Questions posted at the beginning of the week again I am not expecting you to have all the requirements (for an 'A' grade) completed by this time. What I am looking for you to have, at the least, is a basic and well thought out start to your weekly discussion.
Important Note: For some weeks will have additional participation requirements that are part of your total weekly score. One example is Week One's completion of the Home Page is part of your 10 participation points for the week. Other general examples include posting about non-Discussion Board assignments, student directed research projects that will be brought into the week's forum, and other projects to be determined as the term progresses. Make sure to note the individual instructions each week that will address the additional requirements.
REMEMBER: That it is not only the number (quantity) I am looking for but also a high level of thought and writing (QUALITY). See more about what is expected for high quality postings in the sections below.
This means that even though you follow the exact number of postings outlined for a certain grade you may not receive that grade if the postings are not well thought out. As such you could post 10 times in a week and receive a score of 6 or 7 if the postings are much too generalized and show very little (or no) evidence of reading the lecture presentations. On the other hand you could receive a score of 8 if you post only 4 times in a week but the postings are very detailed with direct references to the lecture topics and also include new insights.
Here's an example of how I would consider the quality of a posting:
Initial Question posed by instructor = Does the media model in place now promote or not promote stronger democratic discourse?
Student Answer Posting = Having only five companies control the media is bad for democracy. This does not allow for other opinions to be heard. We need to have more choices to view. I feel that this is a very bad thing and should be changed.
This answer is not considered high QUALITY (high quality = a weekly score of 10/9/8 points) and I consider it to be at a high 'D' or low 'C' level, and my reasoning for this lower score follows within these categories:
- Vague (What are the five companies? What is the history of corporate control of media? Why does this not allow for other opinions to be heard? What culture/society are we discussing here? What aspect of democracy is under discussion: voting, news information being accessible, personal rights, other?)
- Does not directly respond to the lecture topics in detail (Why do the five companies restrict viewpoints being heard? What has this to do with other topics presented in this lecture? What about connections to other lectures in the course?)
- Only repeats the question (What does discourse mean? What is democratic discourse? How does news and mass media connect to democracy? Is this different in other cultures? Why do you personally take this view, have you had experience with this topic in the past?)
- Does not back up the statements with any examples (What examples are there to illustrate changing the situation commented on? What examples can be cited of the five companies suppressing a certain opinion—as in cite an example you do further research on or already know about?)
As such:
- Even if you post multiple answers like this throughout the week your grade will end up being a 6 or 7.
- Better is to be posting a fewer number of postings that address the following in three to four well articulated paragraphs:
- Detailed summaries of the topics you are addressing. This means that I am able to gauge that you have read the entire lecture.
- For me to properly gauge this I will need to read that you are not only picking out key topics and defining them, but also making connections between multiple topics found in the lecture.
- Application of, and making connections between, the current week's topics and other lectures presented throughout the course.
- Presentation of your own personal knowledge, experience, and viewpoints. It is important in this course that you not only show a knowledge of what is stated in the lectures, but that you also offer your own perspective of the topics.
- This does not mean you are posting basic "I agree" or "I disagree" statements, but that you are backing up all your statements with detailed explanations with specific cited examples.
- Outside the lecture examples that are researched that help the entire class to understand better the lecture topics and any discussion points you are attempting to make.
1. Initial Questions = the first questions posted by the instructor on Saturday of each week.
Important Note: Sometimes these initial questions will be posted inside the Discussion Board forum, sometimes they will be only set up as suggested topics to discuss in the Discussion Board description/instructions for that week. Most of the time, the students will be the leaders posting on issues/topics brought up in the lectures. I highly encourage students to address the lectures from their own viewpoints and experiences.
If the instructor posting is there at the beginning of the week it is a required thread to post to and the specific thread will be marked as Required.
All other postings by the instructor are not required but can count towards your Response Posting count.
2. Response Postings = responding to other student postings.
In order to keep the discussion lively and active throughout the entire week it is required that all students post in response to other student postings. These Response Postings can be replying to New Threads or other Response Postings (see Generalized Breakdowns of Grades below for grade standards). As with your New Threads the Response postings are expected to be framed at a high level of critical thought (for details see: Academic Discourse and Expectations for above average weekly grades/scores above).
One note is my expectation IS NOT that you read every posting and post as many times during a week as you can. The expectation is focused on posting a limited number of well thought out responses every week.
Some recommendations for managing your reading and responding to the forums:
- Read as many as you can each week by skimming your unread postings (the bold number and titles in Blackboard).
- Respond to postings that initially peak your interest and also make note of postings you want to think about more and come back to later.
- Every week choose different students to respond to so that you make sure you are not responding to the same people every week.
- Figure out strategies for skimming and reading in detail postings. You will discover over time that you can tell if a posting has substance enough to read through.
- IMPORTANT: Even if the posting is short always look for questions that you may be able to answer and expand upon! A student might be genuinely interested in a topic but not sure where to begin to comment on it, so you can be an excellent resource to help flesh out ideas and arguments.
- If you can't read them all don't worry for that is the instructor's job, but always read as many as you can so that your Reflection Postings are robust and detailed.
3. New Threads = new postings created by students that directly address the lecture topics and/or instructor questions.
Every week it is expected that every student posts new and original threads on the various lecture topics. These postings are largely focused on being able to summarize and critique the materials presented by the instructor. It is important that these New Threads are robust and detailed. Remember that those reading the posts cannot read your thoughts and even though we are all addressing the same topics you need to write as for an audience who has not read the lectures. This goes beyond simply being "tested" on the topics but also better assists opening up the discussion to personalized perceptions towards the topics (and perception is a key theme for the entire course!).
4. Reflection Postings = a posting at the end of the week where the student reflects on the week long discussion forum.
The expectation is that every week you will post a "report" of the weekly discussion forum at the end of the week (Friday or Saturday). These reflections allow students to comment on the postings they read throughout the week and identify reoccurring ideas, ideas and thoughts they found as interesting, new ideas they learned from reading other student postings, etc. Again these postings are focused on two things: 1) showing a knowledge of the weekly topics and as such it is expected that one directly references the materials, and 2) personal perceptions and commentaries about the lecture topics and ideas brought up in the discussion board postings.
5. Additional Participation Requirements = some weeks will have other participation requirements that will affect your total weekly scores such as Homepage creation, outside research and posting reports, posting assignment artwork, and other to be determined requirements.
In general I see the breakdown of your Discussion Board grade as this:
(Note: These are rough estimates to give you a general idea of the weight/importance of quality and quantity in weekly Discussion Board participation.)
65% - 75% = MOST IMPORTANT is the QUALITY of the answers (as in how well the answer is thought out, how well the answer shows knowledge from the lectures, and how well the answer uses examples to back the statements). This applies for NEW THREADS, RESPONSE POSTINGS, and REFLECTION POSTINGS.
35% - 25% = LEAST IMPORTANT is the QUANTITY of the answers (as in how many postings one does, how often).
Please see the examples of past student posts that I consider of excellent quality available under the 'Course Information' section in the 'Discussion Board Samples' folder.
WEEKLY DEADLINE NOTE: The midnight deadline for each Saturday is the very last moment one can post without receiving an additional late penalty, or to get your last thoughts of the week posted for grading consideration.
NOTE: This does not necessarily reflect what your final participation/discussion grade will equate to, sometimes there will participation points assigned in non-Discussion Board categories (such as your Home Page and posting other assignments).
(click on each score's link to jump to detailed information about that score's breakdown)
Generalized Breakdowns of Grades:
Again these are rough outlines of what I am looking for in each week’s Discussion Board. Each scoring area describes the minimum requirements I look for during each week's participation. REMEMBER that each section is seen as a whole and not individual items to be checked off and that quality always outweighs quantity.
10 points:
1) Student will begin their weekly participation by posting answers to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor, and/or post New Threads, and/or post Response Postings on the Discussion Board NO LATER than WEDNESDAY by midnight. Again, this does not mean that one has to complete all of the requirements outlined below, but I need to see evidence that you have read the lectures and are now beginning to actively take part in the Discussion Board (looking for two to four posts to start out with).
2) Student posts FREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
This means that a student will post AT LEAST THREE separate days of the week (ex: postings on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
3) Student will post in-depth answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS and/or CREATE NEW THREADS. This includes:
- Direct references to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed.
- Length of ONE to TWO PARAGRAPHS (five to ten sentences long).
- Students include their own thoughts and analysis, DO NOT REPEAT ONLY lecture materials, think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- MULTIPLE EXAMPLES are given that are OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past. Remember to describe the outside source in detail so we understand what it is about and why it connects to the weekly topics.
- AT LEAST ONE question should be posed at the end of the answer so that others in the class can answer and continue the thread.
- All answers go beyond simplified statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts.”
4) Student will ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail. Response Postings number BETWEEN (at the least) THREE TO FIVE throughout the entire week and include:
- Postings DO go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings are ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are posed in a collegial and scholarly manner (remember that this is not an online debate board, but is a graded discussion as part of your coursework).
- Postings include specific lecture and outside researched examples.
- And all postings will be AT LEAST THREE to FOUR sentences long.
5) Student continues to CREATE NEW THREADS throughout the week that go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor that stimulate excellent new class discussion. For these NEW THREADS follow the same guidelines listed above for answering the INITIAL QUESTIONS.
6) Student CREATES ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE (ex: (but not limited to) posts that bring in outside resources such as web links or images, make suggestions for further research, etc.).
7) SHOWS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE LECTURES each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a HIGH LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples, in even topics of possible low interest to the student. Thus, the student shows an ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) POST an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a HIGH LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis will include a detailed summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; as well as include a commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student WRITES CLEARLY without many typos. ALL sentences are easy to read even when dealing with complex topics. As instructor I SHOULD be able to read through ONCE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I SHOULD NOT spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through many typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
9 Points:
1) Student will begin their weekly participation by posting answers to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor, and/or post New Threads, and/or post Response Postings on the Discussion Board NO LATER than WEDNESDAY by midnight. Again, this does not mean that one has to complete all of the requirements outlined below, but I need to see evidence that you have read the lectures and are now beginning to actively take part in the Discussion Board (looking for two to four posts to start out with).
2) Student posts FREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
This means that a student will post AT LEAST THREE separate days of the week (ex: postings on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
3) Student will post in-depth answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS and/or CREATE NEW THREADS. This includes:
- Direct references to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed.
- Length of ONE to TWO PARAGRAPHS (three to seven sentences long).
- Students include their own thoughts and analysis, DO NOT REPEAT ONLY lecture materials, think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- MULTIPLE EXAMPLES are given that are OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past. Remember to describe the outside source in detail so we understand what it is about and why it connects to the weekly topics.
- AT LEAST ONE question should be posed at the end of the answer so that others in the class can answer and continue the thread.
- All answers go beyond simplified statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts.”
4) Student will ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail. Response Postings number BETWEEN (at the least) THREE to FIVE throughout the entire week and include:
- Postings DO go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings are ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are posed in a collegial and scholarly manner (remember that this is not an online debate board, but is a graded discussion as part of your coursework).
- Postings include specific lecture and outside researched examples.
- And all postings will be AT LEAST THREE to FOUR sentences long.
5) Student continues to CREATE NEW THREADS throughout the week that go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor that stimulate excellent new class discussion. For these NEW THREADS follow the same guidelines listed above for answering the INITIAL QUESTIONS.
6) Student CREATES ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE (ex: (but not limited to) posts that bring in outside resources such as web links or images, make suggestions for further research, etc.).
7) SHOWS active participation in the lectures each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a HIGH LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples, in even topics of possible low interest to the student. Thus, the student shows an ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) POST an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a HIGH LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis will include a detailed summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; as well as include a commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student WRITES CLEARLY without many typos. ALL sentences are easy to read even when dealing with complex topics. As instructor I SHOULD be able to read through ONCE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I SHOULD NOT spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through many typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
8 Points:
1) Student will post to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor as on the Discussion Board NO LATER than FRIDAY by midnight.
2) Student posts FREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
3) Student will post standard answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS and/or CREATE NEW THREADS. This includes:
- AT LEAST ONE direct reference to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed.
- Length of AT LEAST ONE PARAGRAPH (three to five sentences long).
- Students include their own thoughts and analysis, DO NOT REPEAT ONLY lecture materials, think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- AT LEAST ONE example is given OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past. Remember to describe the outside source in detail so we understand what it is about and why it connects to the weekly topics.
- AT LEAST ONE question should be posed at the end of the answer so that others in the class can answer and continue the thread.
- All answers go beyond simplified statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts.”
4) Student will ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail. Response Postings will number BETWEEN (at the least) TWO to THREE throughout the week and include:
- Postings DO go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings are ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are posed in a collegial and scholarly manner (remember that this is not an online debate board, but is a graded discussion as part of your coursework).
- Postings include specific lecture and outside researched examples.
- And all postings will be AT LEAST THREE to FOUR sentences long.
5) Student continues to CREATE NEW THREADS throughout the week that go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor that stimulate excellent new class discussion. For these NEW THREADS follow the same guidelines listed above for answering the INITIAL QUESTIONS.
6) Student CREATES ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE (ex: (but not limited to) posts that bring in outside resources such as web links or images, make suggestions for further research, etc.).
7) SHOWS active participation in the lectures each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a MEDIUM LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples, in even topics of possible low interest to the student. Thus, the student shows an ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) POST an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a MEDIUM LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis will include, BUT MAY BE MISSING, a detailed summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; as well as include a commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student DOES WRITE CLEARLY without many typos. ALL sentences are easy to read when even dealing with complex topics. As instructor I SHOULD be able to read through ONCE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I SHOULD NOT spend a great deal of time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through many typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
7 Points:
1) Student will post to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor as on the Discussion Board NO LATER than SATURDAY by midnight.
2) Student posts INFREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW (but short) or UNORIGINAL thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
3) Student will post below-standard answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS and/or below-standard NEW THREADS. This includes:
- AT LEAST ONE direct reference to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed, AND/OR references are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
- Length of AT LEAST ONE PARAGRAPH (two to four sentences long).
- Students include their own thoughts and analysis, DO NOT REPEAT ONLY lecture materials, think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- AT LEAST ONE example is given OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS, AND/OR examples are POORLY DESCRIBED, WRITTEN, and ARGUED. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past.
- AT LEAST ONE question should be posed at the end of the answer so that others in the class can answer and continue the thread.
- All answers go beyond simplified statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts”, but are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
4) Student will ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail. Response Postings will number BETWEEN (at the least) TWO to THREE throughout the week and include:
- Postings DO go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings are ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are posed in a collegial and scholarly manner (remember that this is not an online debate board, but is a graded discussion as part of your coursework).
- Postings include specific lecture and outside researched examples.
- And will be AT LEAST TWO to THREE sentences long.
5) Student continues to CREATE NEW THREADS throughout the week bring up generalized thoughts, but overall does not stimulate new class discussion or go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor. For these NEW THREADS follow the same guidelines listed above for answering the INITIAL QUESTIONS.
6) Student CREATES SOME (FEW) ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE (ex: (but not limited to) posts that bring in outside resources such as web links or images, make suggestions for further research, etc.).
7) SHOWS active participation in the lectures each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a MEDIUM to LOW LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples, in even topics of possible low interest to the student. Thus, the student shows a MODERATE LEVEL of ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) Student will POST, OR IS MISSING, an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a LOW to MEDIUM LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis MAY BE MISSING OR ONLY INCLUDE A BRIEF summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student DOES write clearly without many typos. MOST sentences are easy to read when even dealing with complex topics. As instructor I SHOULD be able to read through TWICE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I MAY HAVE to spend some time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
6 Points:
1) Student will post to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor as on the Discussion Board NO LATER than SATURDAY by midnight.
2) Student posts INFREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW (but short) or UNORIGINAL thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
3) Student will post below-standard answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS. This includes:
- THERE WILL BE NO direct references to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed, OR examples are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
- Length of AT LEAST ONE to TWO sentences long.
- Students DO NOT include their own thoughts and analysis, and/or REPEATS ONLY lecture materials, and DO NOT think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- AT LEAST ONE example is given OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS, AND/OR examples are POORLY DESCRIBED, WRITTEN, and ARGUED. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past.
- THERE WILL BE NO examples given outside the lecture materials, OR examples are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
- Answers DO NOT go beyond statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts.”
4) Student will NOT ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail, OR postings are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED and include:
- Postings the DO NOT go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings DO NOT ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are NOT posed in a collegial and scholarly manner.
- NO specific lecture and outside researched examples, or briefly throw in a reference with no explanation.
5) Student DOES NOT CREATE NEW THREADS that go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor and do not stimulate new class discussion.
6) Student DOES NOT CREATE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE.
7) DOES NOT show active participation in the lectures each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a LOW LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples. Thus, the student shows a LOW LEVEL of ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) Student will POST, OR IS MISSING, an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a LOW LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis MAY BE MISSING OR ONLY INCLUDE A BRIEF summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student DOES write clearly without many typos. FEW sentences are easy to read when even dealing with simpler topics. As instructor I WILL HAVE TO read through AT LEAST TWICE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I WILL HAVE to spend A LARGE AMOUNT time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
5-4 Points:
1) Student will post to the Initial Questions posed each week by the instructor as on the Discussion Board NO LATER than SATURDAY by midnight.
2) Student posts INFREQUENTLY throughout the week in response to other student and instructor postings and with additional NEW (but short) or UNORIGINAL thoughts about the lecture materials and/or initial Discussion Board questions.
3) Student will post below-standard answers to the INITIAL QUESTIONS. This includes:
- THERE WILL BE NO direct references to the lecture materials that relate to the question posed, OR examples are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
- Length of AT LEAST ONE to TWO sentences long.
- Students DO NOT include their own thoughts and analysis, and/or REPEATS ONLY lecture materials, and DO NOT think for oneself. I am not only looking for knowledge of the lecture materials, but also ORIGINAL thoughts about the topics.
- AT LEAST ONE example is given OUTSIDE THE LECTURE MATERIALS, AND/OR examples are POORLY DESCRIBED, WRITTEN, and ARGUED. These can be appropriate Web sites, news articles, images, and/or your own commentary focusing on an example you have come across in another class or in the past.
- THERE WILL BE NO examples given outside the lecture materials, OR examples are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED.
- Answers DO NOT go beyond statements such as “Visual Literacy is the way we see the arts.”
4) Student will NOT ADDRESS MULTIPLE student postings in detail, OR postings are POORLY WRITTEN and ARGUED and include:
- Postings the DO NOT go beyond simple "I agree with Jane Doe's statement about Visual Literacy."
- Postings DO NOT ACTIVELY engaged with the materials presented in the post you are responding to, and are NOT posed in a collegial and scholarly manner.
- NO specific lecture and outside researched examples, or briefly throw in a reference with no explanation.
5) Student DOES NOT CREATE NEW THREADS that go beyond the Initial Questions posed by the instructor and do not stimulate new class discussion.
6) Student DOES NOT CREATE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTFUL POSTINGS BEYOND WHAT IS OUTLINED ABOVE.
7) DOES NOT show active participation in the lectures each week by referencing the lectures in the Discussion Board and/or visiting the lectures frequently throughout the week.
8) Student will show a LOW LEVEL of knowledge of the lectures and outside examples. Thus, the student shows a LOW LEVEL of ENGAGEMENT in attempting to learn something new about the materials presented.
9) Student will POST, OR IS MISSING, an end of the week (Friday or Saturday) REFLECTION POSTING, which includes a LOW LEVEL of personal critical analysis of that week's overall discussion forum. This analysis MAY BE MISSING OR ONLY INCLUDE A BRIEF summary of the themes, arguments, and thoughts presented in other student postings; commentary about what you have learned new throughout the week from the forum that you would not have learned solely from the lecture presentations.
10) Student DOES write clearly without many typos. FEW sentences are easy to read when even dealing with simpler topics. As instructor I WILL HAVE TO read through AT LEAST TWICE to understand your main argument/point and why you think that way. I WILL HAVE to spend A LARGE AMOUNT time trying to figure out the writer means because I am wading through typos and sentences that do not connect to others and/or are fragments (Note: The Discussion Board forum is a more informal writing venue so a small amount of typos are acceptable.).
3-0 Points:
1) Student has either posted only one or twice during the week, or has not posted at all during the week (thus = 0 grade).
2) Postings are not understandable or have no relation to the lecture and course materials.
3) Student posts many times, but does not go beyond simple statements such as “I agree” “Yes, that is true”.
4) Postings are so poorly written in the case of typos and editing that they are impossible to read.
5) Student only takes the time to belittle/make-fun-of/argue-for-no-reason with other classmates. Instructor reserves the right to block inappropriate postings from the Discussion Board.
6) Or other severe problems that the instructor will address independently with the student via email. Instructor reserves the right to block inappropriate postings from the Discussion Board.