Detailed Instructions and Grading Rubrics

Hints on how to succeed in this course!

The grades you earn on each assignment are up to you.  The documents below spell out in detail the requirements you must meet in order to earn an “A” grade. These “hints” give you a preview of those requirements:

• The course consists of 5  learning modules.
  • Be aware of the start and end date of the discussion forums and the due date for the assessments.
  • Submit your initial posts within the first 3 days that the module starts. For full credit submit your initial posts on the module start day.
  • Participate in each of the discussion forums on at least 10 different days during the module
  • For full credit, submit your Reflective Blog on the first day of the Knowledge Audit window – early and late posts do not earn full credit.
  • I will accept some assignments late, but there is a late penalty built into the grading rubrics:
  • Discussion forum posts that are submitted after the forum has ended are not graded – no exceptions!

Frequently asked Questions:

Question 1: How will I be graded?

Answer: I use a grading rubric to provide feedback on every assignment. These rubrics are printed in the documents in this folder.  Once your assignment is graded the scored rubric is available in the “My Grades” area.  I suggest that you review each of your scored rubrics so that you are aware of any problems and do not make the same mistakes again.

Question 2: Why is there a “post on 10 different days” requirement for full credit on the discussion forums?

Answer:  I have learned over my 20 years of teaching online that the discussion forum is the primary learning activity.  To make an online discussion as meaningful as a face-to-face discussion, it is necessary to have the same back-and-forth interaction.  This can only be done if you give the other participants a chance to respond before you get back to them with your reply.  It is also for this reason that you will only get credit for a maximum of 3 posts to a discussion forum during any 24 hour period.  For your posts to have maximum teaching value, you need to spread them out over the entire length of the module.

Question 3: Why doesn’t my course grade change each day that my discussion posts are graded?

Answer:

• Your course grade will not reflect your discussion forum grades until the discussions have ended.
• I will attempt to grade your discussion posts every day, so your grade on a discussion forum will improve each time you submit an acceptable discussion post.
• You can see your current and past discussion forum grades by clicking on the “My Grades” link in the sidebar on the left.
• Review your discussion forum rubrics frequently and you will always know how you are doing, and how much more work is needed to attain the grade you want.
• I will enter your forum grades into the grade book when the discussions have ended.
• When I enter your forum grades into the grade book, then your course grade will change.