Discussion Comments
I've found one of the most frustrating aspects of grading online discussion comments is getting the students to elaborate responses to include more than, "I completely agree" or "good point".
In our online courses, we require sources and attribution (where the information came from and who said it) within their forum posts and assignments. This has been very helpful. Our learners are more likely to "seek and find" validation either from the course itself, courses they have taken previously or from outside sources to bring a specific point or opinion to light. This requirement also makes it much easier for instructors to check for possible issues regarding plagiarism.
I have to agree with the prior comment that when a student responds with "I agree" and they are asked to expand on their comment only to get another similar response probably means the student has no reference of what are the expectations for an acceptable response.
Providing an example of a proper post will most likely help the student better understand the instructor's expectations of a detailed post.
Thank you for sharing this recommendation. I will make sure to use a sample detailed post in my next online class if needed.
I do too. Though, during the discussion I'll ask what they agree on or what point they think is good and then elaborate on it referencing the post they replied to. Then when grading the discussion I'll inform them that they need to elaborate more. I only expect, at least, three sentences.
Hannah,
Have you tried to provide the students with a sample detailed post so they can see the depth you expect. An example of a "proper" post can go a long way in helping clarify the expectation for students.
Herbert Brown III
Christina,
I have the same problem in my discussion boards. Even when I ask the students to contribute with more detailed responses, they change "I agree" to "Great post! I agree with everything you said!". The best luck that I have had in getting responses is when I post very detailed questions in my replies to the students' posts. However, this is still hit-or-miss whether the students will actually respond to the questions.
