The On-Line Student Guide for

Personality: A Systems Approach

Pointers on Using Classroom Discussion Boards

Professors increasingly are using discussion boards and other web-like interactions to teach their courses. The assignment(s) you may encounter may vary, but some general pointers can be helpful. Here are a few such pointers.

Netiquette. Usually professors ask you to be tactful in discussing one another's ideas. For many students, this doesn't pose much of an issue. If you like to critique other's ideas, and if you enjoy a good argument, however, you might want to spend a little time reading about netiquette before you post. Netiquette concerns the best ways to behave while addressing others electronically. Reading up on it can help you enhance the likelihood that, while critiquing others' ideas, you stay on good terms with them as well.

Using a Word Processor Beforehand. If you are using an in-class program such as Blackboard, the opportunity to edit your post before sending it may be minimal. In addition, it is possible to lose your work while posting. For that reason, it is usually a good idea to edit your post in a word processor such as MS Word or Open Office Word, and then copy it into the posting-window once it is ready.

Say Something Original, Or At Least Elaborated. Whether your assignment is to comment on someone else's post, or post on your own, it often helps to express your thoughts as completely as you can (assuming you are comfortable sharing them). A simple "I agree" as a comment on a post is usually not highly evaluated by a professor. An "I agree because..." however, with some explanation of your thinking on the matter, is likely to carry more weight. For example, can you provide an additional reason for why you believe the original post to be correct?