What's in a Posting?

By Linda Sweeney, National-Louis University

Posting (n.): a comment on an electronic discussion
board in software such as WebCT or Blackboard

Post (v.): to write a comment on an electronic discussion
board

As the definitions above reveal, the meaning of posting is no longer limited to describing the action of putting an announcement on a bulletin board. Cyberspace and online learning have created a new connotation for the term.

Posting is an important topic for online instructors who use discussion boards. There has been more than one article about the contents of postings and how they should be evaluated or graded. In Evaluating Online Discussions: Four Different Frames of Analysis, Katrina Meyer (2004) suggests evaluating postings according to the Perry Scheme of Intellectual Development or Bloom's Taxonomy, among other learning frameworks. Assessing postings with Perry in mind, students are evaluated as to whether they express their thoughts in a dualistic or black-and-white manner or if their thinking process is further along on a continuum that traverses multiplicity (accepting many possible opinions), relativism (believing there are shades of right or wrong according to the situation), and, eventually, commitment. Meyer also presents a scale of evaluation based on Bloom wherein students are assessed as to whether they express simple knowledge, growing comprehension, how to apply knowledge or synthesize, and more.

Edelstein and Edwards (2002) suggest a simpler form of evaluation for student postings. Using a rubric from California State University at Hayward, they rate four categories on a scale of one to four: (1) promptness and initiative, (2) how the post is delivered, (3) relevance of the post, and (4) expression within the posting.

Though such articles are valuable, however, they take the view of the instructor, rather than the student. Since postings in a discussion-based online class can amount to 20% or more of one's grade, students or those who help them with learning assistance need some practical guidelines on how and what to post. Some suggestions are as follows:

Student Guidelines for Online Postings

1. Read the discussion board frequently. Online classes are continuous in nature. That is, they don't take place in one three hour period like a regular class. Instead, they occur in short bursts of time during all or most of the days of a module or week -- however the instructor has organized the class. Therefore, don't wait until the end of a module or week to read your instructor's or classmates' postings and add your own comments. Read the discussion board every day, if possible - you can glance over a whole thread at a time if you use the "compile" function of your discussion board.



2. Reflect on what you've read and think about what the instructor and your classmates have said. You don't have to do this on the spot. You can reflect whenever and wherever you are. Being able to do so is one of the beauties and strengths of online learning.



3. After you've reflected, post your own comments several times per week but make sure your posts are reasonably substantial, if not so lengthy that they break up the ongoing discussion. Do not post just "Hi, there, everyone," or "I agree." Instructors grade more on quality than quantity.



4. Go over your posts before clicking "reply" and correct spelling and grammar. (Not that you won't make mistakes sometimes - that's okay -- and there isn't any spell check on some discussion boards.)



5. Refer to the readings or content of the course in some fashion in your posts. The instructor wants to know if you've read the material and understand it. However, don't just summarize what you've read. Elaborate on what you've read and put everything in your own words. If you use an author's words, place them in quotes. Plagiarism is plagiarism, whether in an online discussion board or a paper. In the same vein, if you quote something from another source, make sure you list that source. I once had a student copy remarks directly from a review in Amazon.com and insert them in a posting. I knew they were not her words, I found them on Amazon.com, and the student flunked that module (she was lucky not to flunk the course).



6. Connect the readings to your own life and experience. Mention your experience in your postings, if possible. This will aid your learning process as well as get you a better grade.



7. Remember you are part of a community and that your postings contribute to the learning process. Ask questions of your peers. Try to make them think. Give them support when you agree with them and constructive comments when you don't.

References

Edelstein, S., & Edwards, J. (2002). If you build it, they will come: Building learning communities through threaded discussions. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume V(1), Spring.

Meyer, K.A. (2004). Evaluating online discussions: Four different frames of analysis. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Network, Volume 8(2).

Questions or comments? Contact the author at Lsweeney@nl.edu.