Understanding Assignments: Initial Post--Part 1 (DB)

Initial Post--Part 1 (DB)

Liberty Student Overview

Many students aren't sure what is expected of them when they are asked to watch a video, form an opinion, and then defend that opinion with support from the textbook and other sources. This is what is being asked of students in Discussion Board forums for their Initial posts.

HOW IT WORKS
For example, in most of my ENGL101 courses, I begin Week 1 with a DB post that requires students to introduce themselves as well as logically argue their perspective on whether college is 'really worth it' or not.

This post helps the class get to know each other, but it also begins the discussion of "What is an Argument". By having to take a stand (on whether college is worth it or not), students begin the steps of an argument.

STEPS FOR INITIAL POST

STEP 1: EVALUATE THE ARGUMENT

They have to assess the argument of the video,
check it for support,
check it for logic,
decide if it has fallacies, and
locate the well-crafted aspects of the argument.

STEP 2: DRAFTING THE ARGUMENT

They then have to create an Initial post that

presents the video's argument,
evaluates that argument,
critiques the positive and negative aspects of the argument (use of logos, pathos, ethos, fallacies, etc.),
while then supporting their own stand (using source materials from the classroom video and textbook), and
providing counter-arguments the other side of the argument.

In this way, students experience the first argument of the course. They have learned to:

internalize an argument,
evaluate the argument, and then
craft a writing that exposes the argument's structure (whether good or bad) and
asserts his/her own argument on the topic with clear, logical support.

Discussion Board (DB) Assignments

General Overview

Respond to the writing prompt posted to the discussion board forum. Make sure you spend the time to revise and edit the assignment so that your response is written in standard English with:

Adequate Rhetorical Strategies.
Use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos when possible.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd person voice (is allowed for discussion board writing, but only 3rd person voice is allowed in academic writing in the form of an essay/paper).
Provide reasonable FACTS / CLAIMS, REASON, and EVIDENCE to support your point.
Limit use of Words and Phrases to Avoid list.
Eliminate Contractions.
Eliminate Questions from your initial post (questions can be used in the peer response post to the Discussion Board, though).
Eliminate Faulty Parallelism.
Have a clear Style of Writing.
Eliminate Fragments and Run-ons.
Focus on your Audience.
Follow Sentence Structure guidelines.
Adhere to proper Comma and Semicolon Usage
Do not use slang.
Do not use colloquialisms.
Do not use clichés.
Make sure that all of the content is properly broken into the 3-part-writing layout:

introduction paragraph,
body paragraph(s), and
conclusion paragraph.

Pay close attention to the directions so that you know the:

Required Word Count
Required Sources
Required Textbook Readings
Steps in the Assignment
Due Date
Documentation Format

Each new point you address from the discussion board prompt needs to be in a new paragraph--focus on what the assignment was asking you to do: analyze, argue, provide details, evaluate, identify principles of argument, rebut or support a reading's main idea, etc.

Always...

refer to aspects of the textbook readings from the assigned week or previous weeks,
address specific points regarding purpose, audience, and context.
use principles of argument to defend your position.

See the Liberty online Blackboard classroom for the exact writing prompt for your Discussion Board (DB) assignment.

[See more about Discussion Boards (DB) HERE]

General Guidelines for Responding to Peers

Reply to a classmate’s post with a 150-200 word response written in standard English, no slang, no colloquialisms, no contractions, with content broken in the 3-part-writing layout:

introduction paragraph

body paragraph(s)

conclusion paragraph.

Each new point you address from your classmate's initial post needs to be in a new paragraph--focus on what the peer was arguing and addressing in his/her analysis.
Use the principles of argument either to rebut or to support your classmate’s ideas. (You must refer to aspects of the textbook reading assignment.)
Address specific points regarding your classmate’s initial post's content about the purpose, audience, and context. (You must refer to aspects of the textbook reading assignment.)
Statements such as, “I like what you said” or “I disagree with your comment,” do not count as replies.
You must explain why you liked or disliked the student's assignment posting. Focus on what the peer was arguing in his/her post.
Include additional thoughts or ideas (to advance the discussion further) if you agreed with the author (indicating from the readings why the author was correct in the statement) or by providing alternative ideas or thoughts when you disagree (referring to aspects of the textbook readings to support your disagreement).
You can ask the classmate questions for clarification of his/her reflective argument.

Keep in mind that, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with your classmates’ opinions, you must be respectful and courteous in every interaction.

For more on the proper discussion in an academic setting, consult the netiquette policy found in the Student Expectations link of this course.

[See more about Discussion Boards (DB) HERE]

Need more helpful information about Discussion Board posts? See these handouts for assistance:

Discussion Questions:

FAQs and Understanding the Assignments