Fingers typing on a laptop keyboard Whereas in a classroom you would listen to what your classmates have to say, in an online class, you have to read what they have to say. Therefore, you are responsible for reading discussion posts, whether you think they pertain to you or not. Doing this not only helps you to understand the material better, but many times the course facilitator will answer a question or clarify a topic that has been brought up in a post. In general, you will spend more time on the messages that are most important to you and be able to skim the other messages for important information.

When you post your discussion response you need to make sure it is a substantive response. Substantive means that you must take time in formulating your response, organizing your own thoughts, and incorporating information from the course or your own experience in the classroom. You must demonstrate evidence of critical thinking and prompt further discussion of the topics among your classmates. Excellent postings are characterized by originality and relevance to the topic.

Although it may not be required (check the discussion instructions to be sure), you can submit reply posts directly to your classmates. These posts may be shorter than your original substantive discussion post. They must be more significant than one-word responses, or a “Wow! That’s cool!” This is your opportunity to discuss the information further with your classmates, to discuss whether you agree or disagree, and most importantly to state why or why not. Remember to stay on or at least close to the topic. (For example: “I love shopping at Walmart” is not an appropriate response in a discussion about leadership training at Walmart since it has nothing to do with leadership.)

An excellent source for understanding how to do your best on a discussion post is the online article 5 Ways to Ace Discussion Board Assignments in an Online Class, by Devon Haynie. He notes, “When online discussion boards come together well, students can actually learn more from them than from other parts of class.” So let get posting and make this an awesome discussion!

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