Mastering Online Discussion Forums
- Get Ready to Engage
- Respond to at least two peers per topic.
- Be respectful and foster discussion.
- Crafting Your Post
- Engage as you would in a face-to-face discussion.
- Read existing posts to avoid repetition.
- Make Your Post Count
- Share thoughts and ask meaningful questions.
- Consider challenges or follow-up questions.
- Avoid One-Liners
- Expand responses with examples or insights.
- Offer new thoughts beyond 'I agree.'
- Stay Focused
- Stick to the topic—no tangents.
- Use clear subject lines.
- Use Sources Wisely
- Summarize links, don’t just share them.
- Provide citations and references.
- Link to Prior Knowledge
- Include relevant experiences or coursework.
- Connect ideas to what you’ve learned.
- No Repetition
- Avoid posting just to fill space.
- Provide unique perspectives.
- Characteristics of Quality Posts
- Substantial: Add valuable insights.
- Concise: Be clear and brief.
- Provocative: Encourage responses.
- Explanatory: Expand key ideas.
- Timely: Post early for responses.
- Logical: Support with reasoning.
- Grammatical: Proofread for clarity.