Guidelines for Online Discussion Activities

As part of this course, we'll engage in several online discussions. Please be aware of the following guidelines for successful participation.

Weekly Discussions

Each week, you'll be asked to share your response to a discussion with your cohort. Instructors are looking for your active participation in the discussions. You'll be given full credit for participating each week if you complete both of the following (at a minimum):

1. An initial response to the discussion question - Due by Friday of each week.
2. At least one response to someone else's discussion post - Due by Sunday of each week.

Instructors may also participate in the discussion.

This tutorial video provides more information about using the Canvas Discussion feature as a participant (Vimeo, about 3 minutes). Links to an external site.

Expected Behaviors and Respectful Contributions

Online learning can take place in a fully online course or as part of a face-to-face course. Participating in an online activity can be different from the interactions that take place in a physical space. Without visual or verbal cues, it can be hard to communicate tone when using text. When you communicate online, your content (files, text, images, and video) can be instantly copied and shared. Due to these differences, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Be polite. While there will inevitably be some things said in your online discussions that you'll disagree with, always keep your responses constructive and, where possible, support your views with evidence from the readings or your own experiences.
• Keep your responses on-topic. If an individual mentions something that interests you in a post that seems completely tangential to the class discussion, respond by private email.
• Post your questions/responses to the appropriate forum.
• Quote responsibly and reply substantially. Always weigh whether your comments are contributing substantially to the discussion before you post them to the discussion list — saying "I agree" after quoting a 25-line message can frustrate your peers and doesn't add much to the discussion.
• Keep your responses jargon-free. Always be sure to define terms and acronyms fully before using them. This rule applies particularly to the use of Internet abbreviations. These terms may be confusing to new users or users who are not native speakers.
• Be mindful of what you share and how you use what is shared. Check with the person who posted the media you'd like to reuse before doing so. If you're posting the media or images, be sure to explore what copyright might apply to them. To find more information, see the University of Minnesota Libraries’ resource on using copyrightable materials.