Discussion Board Grading Rubric Initial Post Criterion Unacceptable 0 Points Unsatisfactory 3 Point Satisfactory 6 Points Organization There is no apparent organization to the content. The information seems jumbled or random. Paragraphing is not present. A purpose is initially established but is not sustained throughout writing. Some irrelevant material may be included. The introduction and/or conclusion could use more work or is missing. The entire piece of writing is controlled by a clear purpose. The reader moves easily from one point to the next. There is a thoughtful introduction and closing. Writing (Grammar & Mechanics) Many grammatical and/or mechanical errors. Paper is not legible. Grammatical and/or mechanical errors frequently stop the reader, effecting the reader’s comprehension of the writing. Any grammatical and/or mechanical errors, if present, don’t affect the reader’s understanding. Topic The content does not address the assignment. This writing addresses the assignment but not sufficiently. Missing support and elaboration. This piece of writing accomplishes the assignment and all of its specific requirements. Contents are supported and elaborated fully. The reader has learned something interesting from this writing. Peer Replies Criterion Unacceptable 0 Points Unsatisfactory 1 Point Satisfactory 2 Points First Reply The content does not address the assignment. This writing addresses the assignment but not sufficiently. Contents lack support and elaboration. This piece of writing accomplishes the assignment and all of its specific requirements. Contents are supported and elaborated fully. The reader has learned something interesting from this writing. Second Reply The content does not address the assignment. This writing addresses the assignment but not sufficiently. Contents lack support and elaboration. This piece of writing accomplishes the assignment and all of its specific requirements. Contents are supported and elaborated fully. The reader has learned something interesting from this writing. Discussion Board Posting Guidelines Posting to a Discussion Board can be exciting. You are interacting with your peers, sharing your thoughts, opinions, questions, and observations, and reading about others’ experiences as well. This is where you get to know your fellow classmates, build and maintain your connections, and perhaps even learn a thing or two! The guidelines below inform what the expectations are for Discussion Board postings, as well as some general guidelines for posting in an online environment. Initial Post Post Length The post length may vary by discussion topic or activity, but in general, the post length should be between 1-5 paragraphs (3-5 lines per paragraph) long. It’s helpful to keep posts concise when in an online forum, as reading large amounts ...

1. Discussion Board Grading Rubric
Initial Post
Criterion
Unacceptable
0 Points
Unsatisfactory
3 Point
Satisfactory
6 Points
Organization
There is no apparent
organization to the
content. The
information seems
jumbled or random.
Paragraphing is not
present.
A purpose is initially established
but is not sustained throughout
writing. Some irrelevant material
may be included. The
introduction and/or conclusion
could use more work or is
missing.

2. The entire piece of writing is
controlled by a clear purpose. The
reader moves easily from one
point to the next. There is a
thoughtful introduction and
closing.
Writing (Grammar &
Mechanics)
Many grammatical
and/or mechanical
errors. Paper is not
legible.
Grammatical and/or mechanical
errors frequently stop the
reader, effecting the reader’s
comprehension of the writing.
Any grammatical and/or
mechanical errors, if present,
don’t affect the reader’s
understanding.
Topic
The content does not
address the
assignment.
This writing addresses the
assignment but not sufficiently.
Missing support and elaboration.
This piece of writing accomplishes
the assignment and all of its

3. specific requirements. Contents
are supported and elaborated
fully. The reader has learned
something interesting from this
writing.
Peer Replies
Criterion
Unacceptable
0 Points
Unsatisfactory
1 Point
Satisfactory
2 Points
First Reply
The content does not
address the
assignment.
This writing addresses the
assignment but not sufficiently.
Contents lack support and
elaboration.
This piece of writing accomplishes
the assignment and all of its
specific requirements. Contents
are supported and elaborated
fully. The reader has learned
something interesting from this
writing.

4. Second Reply
The content does not
address the
assignment.
This writing addresses the
assignment but not sufficiently.
Contents lack support and
elaboration.
This piece of writing accomplishes
the assignment and all of its
specific requirements. Contents
are supported and elaborated
fully. The reader has learned
something interesting from this
writing.
Discussion Board Posting Guidelines
Posting to a Discussion Board can be exciting. You are
interacting with your peers, sharing your
thoughts, opinions, questions, and observations, and reading
about others’ experiences as well. This is
where you get to know your fellow classmates, build and
maintain your connections, and perhaps even
learn a thing or two! The guidelines below inform what the
expectations are for Discussion Board
postings, as well as some general guidelines for posting in an

5. online environment.
Initial Post
Post Length
The post length may vary by discussion topic or activity, but in
general, the post length should be
between 1-5 paragraphs (3-5 lines per paragraph) long. It’s
helpful to keep posts concise when in an
online forum, as reading large amounts of text online can be
straining, both for your eyes and mind.
Additionally, it can be time consuming to read many long posts.
However, the post should not be too
short either. For more information regarding what criteria the
substance of the post is based on, see the
Discussion Board Rubric.
Subject Line
The subject line should reflect the topic being discussed. The
subject line is important because many
people decide whether or not to read a message or posting based
on the title. The subject here should
be short and relevant, but draw other readers in and make them
want to read what you have to say.
Take a minute: Before posting, take a minute to review the
discussion topic and make sure you

6. understand what is required before responding. If you have a
question about what it is that you are
supposed to post, ask your instructor for some clarification.
Response Post
Number of Responses
Response post points are based on meeting the requirements for
the number of response posts added
to the Discussion Board, as well as the substance of those posts.
In addition to the initial post, two
response posts are required for each discussion topic. For more
information regarding what criteria
the substance of the post is based on, see the Discussion Board
Rubric.
Post Length
Response posts should generally be about a paragraph (3-5
lines) or less in length. This may vary by
discussion topic or activity.
When to Post
Rather than adding your initial post and responses to the
Discussion Board all at once, try to distribute

7. your posting throughout the week. Add your initial post early
on, to give others a chance to respond,
and then check back and respond to some of your peers’ posts a
little bit later. This gives everyone time
to carry on a discussion, rather than posting early on and
leaving the Discussion Board quiet for the rest
of the week, or posting in a rush on the last day, stifling your
chances to connect to your peers.
Formatting
Using proper formatting is important when communicating via
an online environment. It makes the text
easier to read, process, and respond to. If the post is difficult to
read, many people will move on to
another post.
Spacing
• If you write a question within your post, it’s a good idea to
separate that question from the rest
of the text. This way, it makes it easier for others to pick out
the question and then respond. Put
the question on one line and the rest of the paragraph on

8. another.
• Separate each new paragraph with a blank line. This keeps the
formatting neat and easy to read.
Writing Format
Use proper spelling, grammar, and formatting to the best of
your ability when posting. This helps to
make your posts easy to understand, as well as to keep the
environment up to a higher standard. This
also includes:
• Refraining from capitalizing all of the letters in a word- this is
considered YELLING, and is rude
• Abstaining from cursing
• Avoiding the use of slang
• Realizing that spell check is helpful!
• Using standard fonts, sizes, and colors in your posts, such as
Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica,
12-14 point, blue or black

9. Etiquette
Quote or Refer
When responding to a post, it can be helpful to others reading
the thread if you quote a short snippet of
the part of the response you’re replying to, or at least reference
it, in order to make the conversation
easier to follow.
Cite Sources
If you use a source to back up a claim, opinion or fact, you
should reference where this material is from,
whether it’s a textbook, online source, or other.
Joking Around
Humor can spice up the forum and make things fun, but be
careful with what you say, and read your
post again carefully before hitting the submit button. Humor can
be difficult to interpret online when
there isn’t any body language and when there are no visual cues

10. or voice inflections to help clue you in
on the tone of what’s being said.
Inappropriate Behavior
When interacting with others online, treat everyone respectfully
and in a manner which you yourself
would want to be treated.
• No flaming (acting hostile towards another online, insulting,
criticizing)
• If you feel you were insulted or talked to in a disrespectful
manner, take a deep breath, and
allow some time to pass before rushing to respond- contact your
instructor, rather than
retaliating
• Do not post comments that are hateful, racist, or insult others
in any way
• No personal attacks- if you disagree with what someone said,
debate the content, but don’t
attack the person
• Do not use any threating or sexually suggestive language