Study Guide
Discussion: Less Valued Posts
Questions
It is good to ask questions, and all questions are welcome. The less valued post contains muddy language, is unclear or ambiguous, or is too general. For example, a common sort of question is "I don't understand why people did X." Such a statement is too vague because it doesn't say what exactly the poster doesn't understand. It is never the case that the person doesn't understand anything; therefore, it's a less valued post because they didn't make the effort to clarify the question in their own mind first.
The Gee-Whiz Post
It is acceptable for someone to express amazement or even just interest in something they've read. This is part of normal human conversation, and the emotional or psychological aspect of learning has a role to play. It is not the individual post that is less valued here, it's when such posts start to dominate and to characterize a student's participation in the course over time.
The reason why it's less valued is because it requires no history. It's purely a reaction shot, with no additional effort. There is no research, no thought. Again, don't be shy in making such a post; just keep an eye on yourself and don't let it become a pattern. Remember that it's also possible to express amazement or interest in the context of a post that also asks a good question or presents a thoughtful commentary.
Dead-End Posts
This is a post that is a statement that goes nowhere. Often it takes the form of a factual statement, like from an encyclopedia. For example: Cnut became king of England in 1017 when he married the widow of Ethelred, thereby giving him a family tie to the English throne.
You see? There's nothing for anyone to do with such a statement, so it doesn't further discussion. There's no analysis, no question, no invitation for a response. I'm not looking for statements, I'm looking for discussion.
Drive-by Posting
This is the person who posts three messages, once a week, all at once. The messages don't relate to anything other people have said. Worse, the student doesn't log in again for another week, whereupon he blasts three more messages, figuring he doesn't need to read what other people are saying at all. Hey, he got in his three-a-week!
Trust me, this doesn't work. Disconnected, unrelated posts are less highly valued and it will affect your grade.