Taking the Stress Out of Discussion Posts

By: Emily Winters

1. Before doing the weekly reading or watching the weekly lecture, read the questions that the discussion post is asking. This way, your notes are targeted and it will be easier to answer the questions when the time comes to write your response.

2. Briefly outline before you begin to write. Because this is a shorter, more precise writing assignment, this does not have to be a lengthy process. However, doing so, even briefly, will ensure that you answer all parts of the question (an important part of how you will be graded for your discussion post!).

3. When you are choosing which discussion thread to answer, choose something that interests you or alternately, something that disagrees with your own response. This way, your answer will come from a place of passion and you will be able to engage with the material in a way that prioritizes your own academic interests.

4. Don’t worry about reaching word limits: when in doubt, use examples from the week’s lectures or readings to show your knowledge and understanding and strengthen your answer.

5. Make connections to course material from other weeks or other courses. This will strengthen your answer and also show your ability to both think in a cross-disciplinary way and make the necessary connections from week to week.

6. Mimic conversation when replying to your classmates’ posts. This means that you can directly point to certain statements that your classmate wrote in order to refute or agree with them, but be sure to remain succinct and prioritize your own points over restating what was already written. Your response should go beyond “I agree” and “good point” and explain why you agree or disagree.

7. Don’t take offense if others disagree with your points or analysis! The discussion board is a space of open learning and active engagement, and this means being open to other ideas and points of view. Keep things respectful and remember that it’s your classmates behind that screen.

8. Proofread before submitting! It’s true that discussion posts are more informal than longer writing assignments or essays, but you should still double check your grammar and make sure your ideas are presented in a clear and orderly manner.