| LEARNING
OBJECTIVES |
The objectives of
these group discussions are to
- provide interaction
with other class members
- help develop your
group process skills
- develop your asynchronous
communication skills
- practice applying
information obtained through course resources to specific
issues.
|
| RULES
OF ENGAGEMENT |
All
class members are expected to welcome open expression of opinions,
attitudes, and beliefs and to accept the legitimacy and value
of dissent, whether the dissenting opinion is considered valid
or not. |
| DIRECTIONS
FOR POSTING RESPONSES |
There
is a separate forum for each of the 12 topics of the course (12
topics, 12 forums) located in the Discussion Board area of the
course web site. To post your group's response, choose the "Discussion
Board" button from the left menu bar. Then click on the topic
forum to which you are responding. Click on "Add New Thread."
In the
subject box, enter the question or issue that your group discussed.
Then enter your group's response in the message box. Preview
your response before clicking on the "Submit" button.
You will not be able to change your response once it has been
submitted, although you may add comments later to the same discussion
thread. Be sure to click the "Submit" button (bottom
right) before leaving the Board.
|
| CONDUCTING
YOUR GROUP DISCUSSION |
In
your group's private forum you will conduct your discussion of
the assigned topic, which is listed in the "Weekly Assignments"
area of the "Assignments" section of the web site, and
decide on your response. From time to time, the instructor may
visit your discussions and make comments on your topic. If at
any time you want help on an assigned topic (for example, you
need clarification of the question), notify the instructor and
the graduate assistant via email and one of them will join your
discussion. |
| RESPONSIBILITIES
OF THE GROUP LEADER |
When you are group
leader, in addition to reporting the synthesis of your group's
responses, you are responsible for setting up the discussion
forum for your group that week. To do this, take the following
steps.
- Enter your private
forum by selecting the "Groups" button from the
menu bar and clicking on your group's name.
- Click on "Group
Discussion Board" and "Week X Discussion" (X=the
week of the course, such as Week 2, Week 3).
- Click on "Add
New Thread."
- In the subject
box, provide a title for the discussion you have been assigned
for that week. You may want to use the question number as
the title. Be sure to choose something that your group members
will be able to recognize as the assignment for the week.
- Enter a message
to begin your group's discussion.
- Be sure to click
on the "Submit" button.
You
should set up your discussion by Monday of the week in which
you are the discussion leader, in order to provide enough time
for your group members to respond and come to consensus before
the deadline for posting your response.
To facilitate
getting the work done, the group members may wish to establish
internal deadlines for the individual responses to the assignment.
Establishing a routine for completing these assignments will
make it easier for the group leader and for group members.
If members
of your group have not responded by your internal deadline,
as group leader you should send a reminder via email. When you
click on the Groups button and then your group name, one of
the choices available is to send email to the group.
Be sure that what is posted to the class Discussion Board is
a synthesis that represents the consensus of the group, not
just a reporting of what each individual member said. A posting
that just repeats what each individual group member said will
not get full credit. You should post a draft of the consensus
statement for the group members to review prior to posting the
response on the Discussion Board.
|
| RESPONSIBILITIES
OF GROUP MEMBERS |
During
the weeks that you are not serving as the group leader, be sure
to check your group's private Discussion Board area early in the
week. Select "Groups" from the menu bar and click on
your group's name. Then click on "Group Discussion Board"
and
"Week X Discussion." Read
the message posted by your group leader and reply to that message
and to the other messages that have been posted.
Each
week, you must respond at least twice in your group:
- once
to the initial question, stating your response
- at
least once
to the comments of your fellow group members.
The
group must come to a synthesis in the response that is posted
by the group leader. As noted above, a posting that just repeats
what each individual group member said will not get full credit.
If
your group leader for the week does not post the question and
initiate the discussion, it is the right and responsibility of
other group members to go ahead with the discussion by posting
the question and making comments.
|
| DEADLINES
|
Your
group response must be posted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday of the week
a topic concludes. |
| VALUE |
The
three lowest grades on your group responses will be dropped. Each
of the other grades is worth 2% for a total value of 18% of your
final grade. Each group member who has participated will receive
the same grade unless there is clear and substantial evidence that
there should be differences in the grades assigned, such as failure
to post at least twice or failure to carry out responsibilities
as group leader. |
©
2004 June Lester
This course material
is for the use of students enrolled in LIS 2003. It may not be reproduced,
published, or transmitted electronically for commercial purposes without
the instructor's consent.
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