Guidelines and Rubric for Online Discussion Hoards - In this class, online discussions will count towards your Assignments grade in the course (see syllabus). The three cardinal rules for Discussion Boards: Please remember that the cultural of mutual respect that is part of this course extends into the virtual classroom environment. Participation in these discussion boards is required. Participation alone is not enough; a thoughtful and meaningfill approach in your posts is required. (Quality counts!). The total of your participation in a single discussion board question (topic) will be graded on a ten point scale.

Posting should be a minimum of one short paragraph and a maximum of two paragraphs. Word totals for each post should be in the 100-200 words range. Whether you agree or disagree explain why with supporting evidence and concepts from the readings or a related experience. Include a reference, link, or citation when appropriate. Be organized in your thoughts and ideas. Incorporate correlations with the assigned readings or topics. Stay on topic. Provide evidence of critical, college-level thinking and thoughtfulness in your responses or interactions. Avoid summarizing. Contribute to the learning community by being creative in your approaches to topics, being relevant in the presented viewpoints, and attempting to motivate the discussion. Be aware of grammar and sentence mechanics. Use proper etiquette. Remember that being respectful is critical.