Discussions

Alignment

Quality Matters

• Standard 5.2 C: Learning activities provide opportunities for interactions that support active learning.

National Standards for Quality Online Teaching

C4 The online teacher promotes learner-learner interaction in online groups in order to foster collaboration and promote higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and/or evaluation.

Use the Forum: Class Discussion Boards

New Topic

Note: The difference between a Topic and a Forum is that the Topic is where the actual discussion among students and the instructor takes place. It consists of the Discussion questions and additional instructions and participants’ posts and replies within the topic’s discussion thread. A Forum can be used as an organizational scheme to house multiple related discussion topics.

Name Topic: (ex: 1.1 Discussion: Title)

Grade Out Of: add total point value and add to grade book, ensuring the point values match

Description: Add the description from the scripting document

Format:

• # of Points on the first line.
  • (Lato 19px; MV color #115e6e)
• Instructions and Prompt (Lato; H2; color: default)
• All other paragraph or list fonts should be default
• Do not copy hard-coded font stylings from other word processors (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs) or from other sources (e.g., webpages) without stripping the fonts via Paste Special (Ctrl+Shift+V) or by first pasting it into a text editor (e.g., NotePad), or by pasting it directly into the full html editor </> in Brightspace and then using the Brightspace HTML editor menu to reformat the text.

Availability Dates & Conditions

Do NOT set any availability dates or release conditions or special access

• An exception for use of release conditions pertains to SLS approved use of release conditions to hide select assignments from students other than those enrolled in a Group (e.g., PAP group in Sem 2 AP courses; accommodated assignment made available only to those students with special access in relation to approved IEP or 504 accommodations)
• An exception is the use of Group Restrictions in select level one world language courses where separate discussion topic threads will be offered to middle school and high school groups based on group enrollment

Post & Completion

• Learners must start a thread before they can view or reply to other threads
• Posts must be approved before they display in the topic = No (leave unchecked; default setting)

Evaluation & Feedback

• Add Rubric
• Evaluate Posts = leave both options unchecked

Discussion Template

XX Points (Lato 19px; MV color #115e6e)

Instructions and Prompt (Lato; H2; color: default)

[How will this discussion help demonstrate mastery of the objective(s)? What is the purpose for completing this discussion? What does the student need to do? What question(s) does the student need to answer? This should be written directly to the student.]

Replies to Peers (Lato; H3)

When you have posted your initial response in the discussion board, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial postings. Your response must include more information and critical thought than “I like your posting” or “I agree.” Remember to always support your ideas with details, examples, and/or explanations. If you are having some difficulty generating a thoughtful reply, consider the following sentence starters:

• One thing that you said that I hadn’t thought about was…
• I feel this is important because…
• It made me think about…
• A piece of information that I would like to add is…
• A question I have is…

• NSQOL: National Standards for Quality Online Teaching
• D2L Brightspace Community: Create discussion forums and topics
• Style Guide: Assignment Directions
• Style Guide: Alt Text
• Style Guide: Closed Captions
• Style Guide: Transcripts
• Style Guide: Hyperlinks