The Purpose of a Discussion Post

Discussion boards mimic an on-campus environment. Think of a physical classroom setting. In a classroom, your professor will ask questions for you and your classmates to discuss. Other times, your professor may pair up classmates or create small groups to discuss ideas, opinions, and questions in a more informal manner.

In online courses, discussion boards help facilitate engagement and participation among classmates. A discussion board is a tool to engage with your classmates. We often build off from each other’s ideas when we are in a physical classroom, so a discussion board replicates this experience online.

Discussion boards also demonstrate active participation. Just like a professor takes attendance in a physical classroom, some professors set up discussion boards to make up a large part of your participation grade in their course. This is dependent on your professor and their specific requirements. When in doubt, make sure to review your class syllabus and reach out to your professor about their discussion board requirements and grading policy.

Tips When Starting Your Assignment

• Make sure to start early. If your initial post is due on a Thursday, do not wait to start until Thursday and expect to conquer it all in one day. Similarly, avoid trying to write a discussion post based on course content you have not yet looked at. 
• Completed assigned readings ahead of time. Before we can write, we have to start with reading. We need to read the discussion prompt, all assigned readings, and any additional course material. We may be assigned with a new discussion every week. Make sure to keep up with the module's readings, textbook, learning activities, and other course materials to stay on track. 
• Break down the discussion prompt into small, workable pieces. Just like an essay, a discussion post needs to be organized. When reading your discussion prompt, make sure to break the prompt into smaller pieces. See if you can organize these pieces into paragraphs when you go to write your initial post.

Questions to Ask When Reviewing the Discussion Prompt

• What type of initial post does your professor want?
• Will your post contain personal experiences?
• Will your post need to solve a problem?
• Will you need to compare or contrast between two topics?
• Will you have to select a side and support an argument?