Discussion Board Samples The following are tips and sample discussion board responses. I first have the discussion board tips. Following that I have a sample discussion board question, how that post would be graded, and why they would be graded that way. Discussion Board Tips 1. Earning Points - Each discussion board forum is worth 3 points. a. 1 point for answering the question in a minimum of ten quality sentences. b. 1 point for providing evidence to support the opinion that you hold. c. 1 point for providing a full source citation of the evidence used. 2. 10 quality sentences - To reach the 10 quality sentence threshold, you need to flesh out the details of your opinions. This can include, but is not limited to: a. Providing a thesis statement (your opinion). b. Providing evidence to support your opinion (along with appropriate citations). c. Explaining how that evidence supports your opinion. d. Stating the opposition’s viewpoint. e. Showing what evidence the opposition gives (along with appropriate citations). f. Showing why the opposition’s viewpoint is flawed. 3. Unacceptable Sentences - What I consider to be unacceptable sentences: a. Sentences with multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes. b. Sentences which are purposefully short in order to make 10 sentences. To me, this is an attempt to do as little as possible to receive a passing grade. If I suspect students are doing this, I will read the responses as though these sentences are combined. 4. Avoid Disrespect - This is also a reminder to avoid disrespectingothers when posting comments. I welcome and encourage disagreement as it fosters debate and critical thinking, but if done disrespectfully or comes across as demeaning it undermines a safe learning environment for all which is unacceptable. a. If you feel there is an instance of disrespect, please bring it to my attention immediately so I can address this issue if and when it arises. b. Additionally, be aware that continued instances of disrespect in the classroom/discussion board in any course may result in getting written up by the Academic Affairs Committee for disrupting classroom activities that is placed on a student's permanent record.  Thus, it is in everyone's best interest to be respectful if and when disagreements arise. Discussion Board Question In our US Constitution, citizens have the right to protections against unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by government.  Recently, however, many have criticized the US government for undermining this constitutional right.  Specifically, people criticize the National Security Administration for its secret collection of US citizen phone records like whom we call, when, and how long we talk to them.  Additionally, the NSA has been secretly collecting internet data of US citizens from 9 major US Internet companies (including emails, photos, videos, documents, and other user activities).  These companies include Apple, Facebook, Skype, Microsoft, Googl.

1. Discussion Board Samples
The following are tips and sample discussion board responses. I
first have the discussion board tips. Following that I have a
sample discussion board question, how that post would be
graded, and why they would be graded that way.
Discussion Board Tips
1. Earning Points - Each discussion board forum is worth 3
points.
a. 1 point for answering the question in a minimum of ten
quality sentences.
b. 1 point for providing evidence to support the opinion that you
hold.
c. 1 point for providing a full source citation of the evidence
used.
2. 10 quality sentences - To reach the 10 quality sentence
threshold, you need to flesh out the details of your opinions.
This can include, but is not limited to:
a. Providing a thesis statement (your opinion).
b. Providing evidence to support your opinion (along with
appropriate citations).
c. Explaining how that evidence supports your opinion.
d. Stating the opposition’s viewpoint.
e. Showing what evidence the opposition gives (along with
appropriate citations).
f. Showing why the opposition’s viewpoint is flawed.
3. Unacceptable Sentences - What I consider to be unacceptable
sentences:
a. Sentences with multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes.
b. Sentences which are purposefully short in order to make 10
sentences. To me, this is an attempt to do as little as possible to
receive a passing grade. If I suspect students are doing this, I

2. will read the responses as though these sentences are combined.
4. Avoid Disrespect - This is also a reminder to avoid
disrespectingothers when posting comments. I welcome and
encourage disagreement as it fosters debate and critical
thinking, but if done disrespectfully or comes across as
demeaning it undermines a safe learning environment for all
which is unacceptable.
a. If you feel there is an instance of disrespect, please bring it
to my attention immediately so I can address this issue if and
when it arises.
b. Additionally, be aware that continued instances of disrespect
in the classroom/discussion board in any course may result in
getting written up by the Academic Affairs Committee for
disrupting classroom activities that is placed on a student's
permanent record. Thus, it is in everyone's best interest to be
respectful if and when disagreements arise.
Discussion Board Question
In our US Constitution, citizens have the right to protections
against unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by
government. Recently, however, many have criticized the US
government for undermining this constitutional right.
Specifically, people criticize the National Security
Administration for its secret collection of US citizen phone
records like whom we call, when, and how long we talk to
them. Additionally, the NSA has been secretly collecting
internet data of US citizens from 9 major US Internet companies
(including emails, photos, videos, documents, and other user
activities). These companies include Apple, Facebook, Skype,
Microsoft, Google, Aol, and Yahoo. Many argue that these
government actions constitute an "unreasonable" search on US
citizens.
So the question is this: Does this collection of data violate the
4th Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and

3. seizures, or is this a reasonable search? When answering this
question, here are some additional questions to possibly
consider: What is the reason the government gives in data
mining its citizens? Is there a reasonable expectation of privacy
when browsing the web? Are our email accounts on Google or
Yahoo servers really our own or are they the internet company's
to decide what to do with?
For more context on this situation, here is a cite that you can
refer to: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/07/nsa-
surveillance-program-explained-here-s-why-we-re-freaking-
out.html
Sample Discussion Board Answers
Excellent Response (3/3 points)
Yes, the collection of data a citizen expects to keep private
online is in violation of the 4th amendment and our right to
privacy.
I do believe that web usage outside of the email box is fair
game. And the government should have the capability to look
into emails if they have reason to believe that person's email
contains evidence that will help prevent an attack. The 4th
amendment protects against search and seizure of "persons,
houses, papers, and effects", all physical items. This was
written before the Founding Fathers ever fathomed that
documents and communications would become digital. It's a
felony to go into a household's physical mailbox. What makes
somebody's email box any different? There are communications
that the sender and receiver expect to be private.
The attacks on 9/11 present a strong case for more drastic and
proactive measures for the government to protect the
people. That still doesn't give the government completely
unhindered access to everybody's email. Where's your probable
cause? Where's your warrant? The government should only be
allowed to enter a specific person's email for evidence once
they have probable cause and a warrant. Quite technically, mass

4. collections of email communications without owner's knowledge
or consent is illegal obtained evidence that can be deemed
invalid by the exclusionary rule.
9/11 seems to have been the government's main pretext for
many measures now in place at checkpoints and airports all of
the country. TSA cavity searches and humiliating public
disrobing are unjustified and degrading. This is being done to
American citizens, being justified by ridiculous stipulations.
The issue has already tumbled pretty far down this slippery
slope. Can't even imagine what new invasive doctrine will be
implemented in the name of 'national security.'
Sources:
Fourth Amendment
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment
Grade – This is the response to the discussion board question
and warrants a full grade given it goes far beyond my minimum
expectations. The response has at least 10 quality sentences (1
point), provides evidence to support their position (1 point), and
provides a brief citation of the evidence used (1 point). These
quality sentences include the student providing a thesis
statement (argument), providing examples/evidence along with
appropriate citations, and explaining how this evidence supports
their claim.
Good Response (2/3 points)
I agree with the government’s actions. If a citizen is not doing
anything wrong, then they have nothing to fear from the
government spying on their activities. For instance, I’m not
searching terrorist websites or talking to terrorists so what do I
care if they look at what I’m doing. They probably would get
bored with my life if they saw what I posted on Facebook! And
even if innocent people do get unfairly targeted by the
government, there are still systems in place to protect the
innocent. For example, we have the court system. I even heard
there is a secret court called the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court that reviews these cases just to be sure that

5. the government isn’t abusing its powers. So ultimately even if
innocent people do get targeted, it isn’t that big of a deal.
While it will be a slight inconvenience for them, ultimately
losing some of their rights is necessary to protect the safety of
millions of Americans. The 4th amendment protects us against
“unreasonable” searches and seizures. I don’t consider this to
be unreasonable since we are talking about national security.
Grade – This is the response to the discussion board question
and warrants only partial credit. The response is 10 quality
sentences (1 point) that provides a viewpoint and attempts to
explain why they hold the viewpoint that they do with evidence
(1 point). However, there are no citations from where they
obtained this information.
Satisfactory Response (1/3 points)
I believe the government has gone too far in checking internet
companies as well as phone companies for information that is
very much personal to people. I don't believe the government
has the right to look for something unless they have been given
a reason, or evidence that there is wrongdoing. The reasons they
give is for safety and prevention, but if a risk of some sort isn't
necessarily posed then how is this reasonable? There of course
shouldn't be much privacy when browsing the web but when it
comes to things such as email, or your own phone then that is
where the invasion of privacy begins. As the 4th amendment
states, “the 4th protects against search and seizure of “persons,
houses, papers, and effects.” If someone were to check my
email, calls or Facebook, I feel as it would be the same as if the
person opened my mailbox and opened my mail to read it.
Grade – This is the response to the discussion board question
and warrants only partial credit. While the response is not 10
quality sentences (0 points), it does provide a viewpoint, and
attempts to explain why they hold the position that they do with
evidence (1 point). However, it does not a source citation (0
points).

6. Unsatisfactory Response (0/3 point)
There should be some limitation and obligation not to violate
the individual privacy. The police should have some evidence to
search anything that we have. I feel that if we have nothing to
hide then we should not be worried!
Grade – This is the response to the discussion board questions
and warrants no credit. It is not 10 quality sentences, provides
no evidence to support their claim, and provides no citation.
Discussion Board Samples
The following
are
tips and
sample discussion board responses
. I
first have the discussion board tips.
Following that I have a sample
discussion board
question, how that post
would be graded, and why they
would be graded that way.
Discussion Board Tips
1.
Earning Points

7. -
Each discussion board forum is worth 3 points.
a.
1 point for answering t
he question in a minimum of ten
quality sentences.
b.
1 point for providing evidence
to sup
port the opinion that you hold.
c.
1 point for
providing a full source citation of the evidence used.
2.
10 quality sentences
-
To reach the 10
quality sentence threshold, you need to
flesh out the
details of your opinions. This can include, but is not limited to:
a.

8. Providing a thesis
statement (your opinion)
.
b.
Providing evidence to support your opinion (along with
appropriate citations)
.
c.
Explaining how that evidence support
s
your opinion
.
d.
Stating the opposition’s viewpoint
.
e.
Showing what evidence the opposition gives
(along with appropr
iate citations).
f.
Showing why the opposition’s viewpoint is flawed.

9. 3.
Unacceptable Sentences
-
What I
consider to be
un
acceptable s
entences
:
a.
Sentences with multiple grammatical
and spelling mista
kes.
b.
Sentences which
are purposefully short in order to make
10 sentences. To me, this is an
atte
mpt to do as little as possible to receive a passing grade. If I
suspect students are
doing this, I will read the responses as though these sentences
are combined.
4.
Avoid Disrespect
-

10. This is also a reminder to
avoid disrespecting
others when posting comments.
I welcome and encourage disagreement as it fosters debate and
critical thinking, but if done
disrespectfully o
r comes across as demeaning it undermines a safe learning
environment for all
which is unacceptable.
a.
If you feel there is an instance of disrespect, please bring it to
my attention immediately
so I can address this issue if and when it arises.
b.
Additiona
lly, be aware that continued instances of disrespect in the
classroom/discussion board in any course may result in getting
written up by the
Academic Affairs Committee for disrupting classroom activities
that is placed on a
student's permanent record.
Thu
s, it is in everyone's best interest to be respectful if
and when disagreements arise.
Discussion Board Samples
The following are tips and sample discussion board responses. I
first have the discussion board tips.

11. Following that I have a sample discussion board question, how
that post would be graded, and why they
would be graded that way.
Discussion Board Tips
1. Earning Points - Each discussion board forum is worth 3
points.
a. 1 point for answering the question in a minimum of ten
quality sentences.
b. 1 point for providing evidence to support the opinion that you
hold.
c. 1 point for providing a full source citation of the evidence
used.
2. 10 quality sentences - To reach the 10 quality sentence
threshold, you need to flesh out the
details of your opinions. This can include, but is not limited to:
a. Providing a thesis statement (your opinion).
b. Providing evidence to support your opinion (along with
appropriate citations).
c. Explaining how that evidence supports your opinion.
d. Stating the opposition’s viewpoint.
e. Showing what evidence the opposition gives (along with
appropriate citations).
f. Showing why the opposition’s viewpoint is flawed.
3. Unacceptable Sentences - What I consider to be unacceptable
sentences:
a. Sentences with multiple grammatical and spelling mistakes.
b. Sentences which are purposefully short in order to make 10
sentences. To me, this is an
attempt to do as little as possible to receive a passing grade. If
I suspect students are
doing this, I will read the responses as though these sentences
are combined.

12. 4. Avoid Disrespect - This is also a reminder to avoid
disrespecting others when posting comments.
I welcome and encourage disagreement as it fosters debate and
critical thinking, but if done
disrespectfully or comes across as demeaning it undermines a
safe learning environment for all
which is unacceptable.
a. If you feel there is an instance of disrespect, please bring it
to my attention immediately
so I can address this issue if and when it arises.
b. Additionally, be aware that continued instances of disrespect
in the
classroom/discussion board in any course may result in getting
written up by the
Academic Affairs Committee for disrupting classroom activities
that is placed on a
student's permanent record. Thus, it is in everyone's best
interest to be respectful if
and when disagreements arise.