How to Do Graded
Discussions for Each Unit—the Discussions in the Working Groups
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Graded Discussions_and_the_Rubric
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If_You_Answer_How_to_Help_Learning
Examples_of_How_You_Can_Answer_AND_Help_Learning
Requirement_to_Post_in_Existing_Threads
Graded
Discussions and the Rubric Used in Grading
Graded
discussions must follow the same rules for good manners that apply to the
general Discussions. (If you want to look at those general rules, click here.) With this
course, you participate in a Working Group using the Discussion Board to get
help or give it—and to earn points. After Unit 1 starts, you will see your Unit
1 Working Group. They let you ask or answer questions about the current history
content. You can earn those points in several ways
Everyone
is encouraged to answer questions if they know the answer. One thing I learned
in academics—but more in business—is to always double check anything you are
about to say is true. It is a good habit in general and an essential one to be
factually accurate. That takes a few seconds but always pays off.
I
regularly read through the questions and answers. If there is any particular
area of confusion or violation of the Good Habits for Evidence, then I may
remove the posting and/or may send out the correct information as a general
email.
Click
here for a copy of
the rubric used to grade these discussions.
How to
Do Ask and Answer Graded Discussions
These are general
guidelines that will be applied when grading your Working Group discussions. If
you have questions, please feel free to contact me.
Whether
you are asking a question or answering another student’s question, you need to be useful and brief and clear. Tip: It can help a
lot if you write your question (or answer) in a word processor and then copy
and paste it into the message.
Examples of Questions You
Can Ask
·
Content,
such as a fact in the history that is covered in one of the Check Your
Knowledge quizzes
·
Where
to find something in our history textbook
·
What
are the issues in understanding one of the possible essays and where can
students find the information they need.
·
Or
anything that will help you learn the content covered in a unit and/or save
time in learning
If You
Answer, How to Help Learning
If
you are answering a question, you also need
to use verifiable and usable evidence. Those words verifiable and usable are
from the back cover of one of my favorite books, In Defense of History by
Richard J. Evans. (Those words in the context of history are worth talking
about later if you are interested.) A common sense way to say how the words verifiable and usable apply to the Working Groups graded discussions is to use an
old proverb:
·
If
you give a person a fish, you feed him (or her) for the moment.
·
If
you teach people how to fish, they can feed themselves for the rest of their
lives.
If you answer a
question (and if you want them to learn something), include in your answer exactly where others can verify what you said—where
they can see it and prove it for themselves.
Tip: You cannot use anything as a source except
your textbook and links in our course. If you do not know what one or more
words mean, you may use the online dictionary provided at Web Links, available
from the left-hand menu. Do not use
any other online dictionary.
Examples of How You Can
Answer AND Help Learning—and Save Students’ Time
1. If a student in your Working
Group asks where information is available for an essay question and you know
that is posted in one of the links at “Everything You Need for the Unit (except
the maps),” you could say the same link is in the Learning module for the Unit—and,
if useful, where it is on that webpage.
Tip: Alternatively,
if you already know how to copy a URL in the course and place it in
Blackboard’s Discussion postings, you can do that.
2. The first task you do
in your working group is reply to a thread stating the version of the textbook
that you are using. Once all of you answer, you will know if you need this
information.
If some of the students in your Working Group have one of the older versions of
the textbook and if a student asks for information about the Peace Policy, you need to say the location in a way that
lets students using older editions of the textbook also succeed.
Fortunately for those on a budget (and many of us understand that reality),
both older and newer versions of the textbook (except for the version listed
with the word Caution in the Syllabus) usually have the same content in the
same chapter number and under the same headings. All that is different is the
page number since some of these books are in tiny print. Because the page number
is different for some editions, you need to
add what is the same in all cases:
·
the
chapter # (such as 16)
·
and
the heading, the bolded label above the content you found (such as “Indian
Policies”)
So
how could you answer the student’s question about the Peace Policy so all of
us could use your information and verify it for ourselves? You might
write this so you help those with the 4th edition and those with
some other edition: I
am using the 4th edition in paper and the Peace Policy is covered
on pages 414-415. OR you could find it in Chapter 16. The heading for it is
“Indian Policies.” |
Requirement to Post
within Threads
If your question is about information in
a thread already created by another student, then you must post within that thread. Blackboard provides video tutorials
on using its Discussion tool. Learning about the tools will save you time.
These two examples may help you understand why posting within a thread is
useful for your colleagues in the Working Group and why sometimes creating a
new thread is useful.
Example
1: If a student had posted a new message called Reconstruction Act of 1867 and
if you have a question about that act, you need to post within an existing thread:
1. Click on the message
Reconstruction Act of 1867.
2. Read all questions
and answers in that thread.
3. If your question has
not been asked or if someone asks a question that you know, then
click on that message in the thread,
click Reply, and then click Submit.
Tip: It is a good idea to change the subject line
so everyone knows what you mean.
Example
2: On the other hand, if no one has posted on Hamilton’s financial policies or
on the national bank and if you are unclear on the meaning of the statement
“bank notes circulated as currency,” you need to create a new thread:
1. Click on Create
Thread and write in the Subject line something that reveals your question such
Hamilton’s national bank and Meaning of “bank notes circulated as currency.”
2. In the body of the
message, you would make your question as brief and clear as you can.
So
you could write this in the message: I
am using the 4th edition in paper and the National Bank is covered
on pages 179-180. On
180, it says “bank notes circulated as currency,” What does that mean? I
know we are not to use outside sources, so how can I figure this out. Thanks! |
3. When you finish,
click Submit.
Late
Discussion posts will not be accepted. Once the topic is locked, responses will
no longer be accepted.
WCJC Department: |
History – Dr. Bibus |
Contact Information: |
281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu |
Last Updated: |
2014 |
WCJC Home: |