Every module students will be expected to answer discussion questions in the #discussion-assignment channel in slack. Students will have 1 week to craft and post their initial response to the discussion question. They will then have an additional week to respond to other students in the discussion.
Due to the interactive nature of the discussions, late posts will not be graded and students will receive a 0 on the assignment. All discussion assignments are due on Thursdays at 5:30 PM
To answer the discussion questions, students are expected to critically apply their knowledge from class and reflect on what they have learned. The discussion questions are not simple questions on module content but require students to demonstrate a solid understanding of the content and may require outside research. So students should plan ahead accordingly when completing discussion posts.
Discussion posts are graded on student effort to contribute to the conversation and thorough reflection on the discussion questions. While there is no "correct" answer to the discussion questions, students are expected to accurately describe content from class or outside sources.
Students are expected to engage with their peers in a productive and respectful manner. Disagreement is expected but students must be respectful at all times.
## Discussion grading rubric
| Component | Excellent | Satisfactory | Developing | Incomplete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 85% | 70% | 55% | |
| Content knowledge (25 points) |
Posts demonstrate strong understanding the readings and course concepts. Posts are well researched and incorporate complete and accurate knowledge. | Student demonstrates solid knowledge of course concepts into the discussion posts and information in posts are accurate | Student demonstrates a partial understanding of the course concepts. Most of the post is accurate, with minor inaccuracies or incomplete knowledge. | Students does not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the material. Information in the post is incomplete or inaccurate. |
| Critical thinking (25 points) |
Student critically incorporates and applies knowledge in original discussion post. Student answers discussion questions in a reflective, critical, or creative way and stimulates conversation on the topic. | Student critically applies content knowledge into their response accurately, but minor improvment is needed to demonstrate thorough reflection and insight into the topic. | Student shows some criticical thinking and application of the course content but improvement is needed to answer questions thoroughly with adequate reflection or insight. | Student does not demonstrate application or critically thinking of the content to completely answer discussion question. Student provides shallow contribution to discussion. |
| Engagement (25 points) |
Student provides thoughtful responses to at least 2 other students in a way that furthers the discussion of the topic and builds on student's responses. Student meaningfully contributes to the discussion and demonstrates critical reading of students' responses. | Student provides thoughtful responses to at least 2 others students in a way that builds on the student's response. The student contributes to the overall discussion. | Student responds to at least 2 other students but does not provide a constructive or thoughtful response. Response does not add to the overall critical discussion of the topic. More reflection on the topic is needed. | Student responds to posts in a way that does not contribute productively to class discussion or only responds to one student. |
| Writing (15 points) |
Writing is high quality with correct spelling and grammar. The writing style and formatting enhances the material rather than distracts the reader. | Writing is good quality with few typos and does not distract the reader. Posts are formatted correctly | Writing has many typos or grammatical mistakes or is formatting incorrectly. Writing or formatting distracts the reader. | Writing is low quality and majorly distracts the reader from the author's point. |
| Respectfulness (10 points) |
Student responses are respectful and productive to the conversation. | Student responses are mostly respectful and productive. | Student responses are not productive to the class conversation. | Student responses are disrespectful to others or their points of view |