Forum Guidelines
Creating quality forum posts is critical for that form of communication to work smoothly and to be beneficial to participants. Here are the characteristics of good forum posts and threaded discussions.
A good forum post:
A good reply to a forum post and subsequent threaded discussion:
For EVEN MORE useful information about how to safely, responsibly, and effectively communicate with others in the forum environment, visit Okemos High School's Forums 101 guidelines and the Forum Post and Discussion Rubric.
A good forum post:
- Follows all directions for posting
- Addresses all parts of the prompt
- Develops argumentative claims, where appropriate
- Includes supporting material (from class texts and outside sources, where appropriate)
- Credits supporting material using in-text or parenthetical citations
- Links to outside sources whenever possible
- Says something new and original -- not what the class texts, teacher, or other students have already said
- Ends with an “intriguing exit strategy” – a question or comment that inspires others to respond and moves the conversation along
- Is evident of the student’s best, most critical thinking
- Shows an awareness of the rhetorical situation – an understanding of what’s expected of a writer in this unique environment, of what one must do to cater to the audience, of what the genre of the writing requires, and of what’s appropriate to say and do in this environment
A good reply to a forum post and subsequent threaded discussion:
- follows all directions for replying and discussing
- addresses peers’ names FIRST when replying
- references something specific in the post or reply
- makes a connection to something in the post or reply – a personal experience, other text, movie, etc.
- asks one or more of the “question types that foster discussion” – evaluative, debate, clarifying, brainstorming, problem solving, interpretive, subjective
- challenges peers’ ideas or offers a new perspective
- develops or redirects argumentative claims, where appropriate
- includes supporting material (from class texts and outside sources, where appropriate)
- credits supporting material using in-text or parenthetical citations
- links to outside sources whenever possible
- focuses on the content, not the person, avoiding personal jabs or attacks
- uses “I” statements – “I disagree because…” or “I drew a similar conclusion…”
- shows an awareness of the rhetorical situation – an understanding of what’s expected of a responder in this unique environment, of what one must do to cater to the audience, of what the genre of the writing requires, and of what’s appropriate to say and do in this environment
- occurs over the course of several days or weeks – NOT in a matter of hours or at the last minute
- includes several correspondences with one or more peers
For EVEN MORE useful information about how to safely, responsibly, and effectively communicate with others in the forum environment, visit Okemos High School's Forums 101 guidelines and the Forum Post and Discussion Rubric.