Many learning management systems with discussion forums allow you to set the discussion forum to where students must submit an initial post before they can see each other’s post. This works best when you are looking for a student’s initial position or argument without being influenced by others in the course.
This Discussion Forum method can be used by instructors for a variety of learning activities to promote collaboration, substantive interaction, and critical thinking. For example in a political science class, students are asked to take a position on a topic of controversial legislation and to support their position with logic or legal precedence. Since the discussion forum is set to first post, students take their initial position without knowing what positions other students are taking. Once their positions are posted, they can engage in active debate through threaded discussions in each other’s posts. In this way students are not influenced by each other in establishing their starting positions and may be persuaded to change positions depending on the arguments from each other.
Example of a First-Post Discussion Forum Assignment
Learning Outcomes
- Explain how the “Dormant” Commerce Clause is a legal doctrine prohibiting states from passing legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce.
- Apply the principles of the commerce clause in determining Federal and state roles within a recent and relevant case study.
Assessment Strategy
The learning outcomes involve both comprehension and applications levels of Blooms Taxonomy. The assessment of student learning needs to include an individual component to understand student understanding and a group component where students interact to apply their knowledge in a problem situation. A grading rubric that addresses both components will be used to evaluate each student’s participation in the online discussion forum as follows:
- Original thinking (must post first before further discussions with class or group)
- Participation: original post and replies to others (quantitative).
- Understanding of the Activity.
- Active “Listening” in a virtual sense.
- Use of resources and references.
- Average peer rating (scored by other students in the group).
- Using rubric to evaluate student performance (see below for rubric example)
- Uses Grade Forum utility to enter grades and comments on each student.
Instructional Strategy
- Chapter reading assignments on the Dormant Commerce Clause and congressional action.
- Instructor mini-lecture available for download.
- Students, as individuals, complete case studies from the textbook.
- Students complete Internet research assignment on the Obama plan for healthcare reform.
- After all of the above is completed and near the end of the academic week, students engage in small teams to discuss and debate healthcare reform as it relates to the Commerce Clause.
Example Assignment Instructions
The directions in the discussions forum might look something like this. It lay out the case study/scenario but also include expectations and guidance.
First-Post Discussion Rubric
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Criteria
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Achievement Level
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Unacceptable
(0%)
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Beginner
(60%)
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Developing
(70%)
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Competent
(80%)
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Accomplished
(100%)
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Participation & Persistence
(20% Weighting)
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0 points
Student did not participate or was late in participating and unable to add substantially to discussions.
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12 points
The student submitted a first-post position but did not reply to other students.
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14 points
The student submitted a first-post position and replied to other students but did not challenge their positions.
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16 points
The student submitted a first-post position and challenged other students on their positions.
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20 points
The student submitted a first-post position and challenged other students on their positions. Discussion threads persisted with thoughtful evaluation of the separate positions.
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Original Thinking
(50% Weighting)
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0 points
The student’s first-post to the discussion forum demonstrated no understanding of the concept.
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30 points
The student’s first-post to the discussion forum demonstrated very little understanding of the concept.
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35 points
The student’s first-post to the discussion forum demonstrated a limited understanding of the concept being presented. No position was provided.
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40 points
The student’s first-post to the discussion forum demonstrated a basic understanding of the concept being presented. Student was able to explain the concept but position lacked support.
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50 points
The student’s first-post to the discussion forum demonstrated a thorough understanding of the concept being presented. Student was able to explain the concept, create a position with support, and offered new and interesting facts or scenarios.
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Quality of Challenge
(30% Weighting)
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0 points
Student did not challenge any other student in the discussion.
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18 points
The student’s challenge(s) demonstrated very little understanding the other student’s position.
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21 points
The student’s challenge(s) demonstrated a some understanding of the other student’s position but failed to support own challenge.
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24 points
The student’s challenge(s) demonstrated understanding of the other student’s position and was able to support own challenge.
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30 points
The student’s challenge(s) demonstrated understanding of the other student’s position with strong support of own challenge. Student gave examples of unintended consequences on the original position.
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