Blog Posting Considerations
Students will do weekly posts related to the topics covered and comment on their peers’ blogs. Specifically, they will be looking at the daily news and / or researching books or other resources related to the topic of the week. The posts will be reviewed weekly and graded according to content adequacy and research involved. Posts should be reflective of the understanding of the material presented in the lectures and provided resources.
Make sure you select the proper Week and Topic related to your blog post.
Initial Post
Length: Each post should be between no less than 100 and no more than 250 words and you are required to have at least 2 embedded images and/or videos, 3 sources/links each and citation of the resources. A thoughtfully prepared paragraph that makes a clear and concise contribution should be your goal.
Content: Your post should reflect your understanding of assigned course readings and web resources.
- Have a Thesis: Do not post a message until you are ready to make a significant contribution. Make sure you have something to say, and that you say it clearly.
- Don’t Repeat What Others Have Already Said: Your post should reflect the fact that you have read what other students have written, and that you are prepared to contribute something new. There will usually be several questions, which should enable you to contribute something new without repeating something one of your classmates has already addressed.
- Grammar and Spelling: Although your audience is your peers, do not take a casual approach to your discussion postings. You are participating in academic discourse, not emailing your friends, and your language should reflect this. Your postings should be well thought out and well written, with careful attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word choice.
- Helpful Tip: Prepare your message in your word processing program first, and then paste it into the message box. Blackboard can be very temperamental and this will avoid the frustration of losing your work.
Comment Post
You are encouraged to read and comment on your colleagues' posts. Cross class discussion enriches your understanding of the topic and counts as participation.
Closing Dates and Late submissions:
- Discussion topics will close on Tuesday evenings at midnight +1 UTC of each week. You should post your first entries early in the week in order to allow time for follow up responses.
Instructor Feedback: Faculty will monitor group discussions to ensure that students are grasping course content, and to provide guidance