A key component of an online course is the discussion forum. Conversation is integral to the learning process. It is how learners share knowledge and how instructors facilitate learning. Since online learners have limited opportunities to converse with their course mates, the discussion becomes the most effective and efficient way to communicate. United Tribes Technical College maintains high academic standards both in the ground-based classroom and the online classroom. Therefore, certain expectations exist for the online discussion room and learners are evaluated based upon how well they meet these expectations.

First each learner is required to answer each discussion question posed by the instructor in a timely manner. Typically, a learner will have one week within which to respond from the time it is posted by the instructor.

Second, the response should be directly related to the question posed and thoughtful in nature. It should include a rationale for the answer.  Consider the following example: In your opinion, is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment?

A weak answer might be:

• I think that anybody who kills somebody else should die.

A stronger answer might be:

• I don’t think that the death penalty is cruel and unusual, especially if the murder is vicious. According to the textbook, prisons to house people who are serving life sentences spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money each year. Look at Charles Manson and his henchmen. Charles Manson has his own cell and gets three square meals per day. He has it better than many of our law-abiding citizens. I don’t want to come off as cold-hearted, but enough is enough.

An even stronger answer would include information about statistics and refer to the textbook for relevant information.

Third, each response should be respectful of the other learners. It is OK to disagree with your course mates or your instructor. It is not OK to put others down for their opinions or ideas. The online discussion room is similar to the face-to-face classroom discussion, only it happens asynchronously. In other words, the learners do not all have to be in the same place at the same time.

Finally, each learner is required to respond to at least one other learner’s response for each question posed. Your instructor may require more. Check the syllabus and the instructor’s information. This is how we encourage communication among learners. Just like the response to the instructor’s question, your response to other learners should be thoughtfully composed. It is not enough to agree or disagree. Provide some explanation for why you agree or disagree.