How to Grade Discussions

Discussions are very common assignments in online courses. Many courses require weekly discussions, and students have to post an original submission and one or more responses to a classmate.

The D2L Discussion Grading Tool helps you see all of the student's submissions at once.

Here are the features of the D2L Discussion Grading Tool:

Easily see the number of threads (posts) and responses at the top left.
Assign a score at the top right.
Provide individualized, private feedback in the "General Feedback" box.
See the text of all posts and responses the student has submitted at the bottom.

There are two pathways to this Discussion Grading Tool.

Pathway #1: From the D2L Discussions area

Click the down-arrow next to the Discussion Topic and select "Assess Topic."

In the list of students and submissions, click the link "Topic Score" and the Discussion Grading Tool will appear in a pop-up window.

Pathway #2: From the D2L Gradebook

In the D2L Gradebook, locate the column for the Discussion Topic, and click the discussion bubble icon. The Discussion Grading Tool will appear in a pop-up window.

What to look for when grading a Discussion Topic

Criteria for grading a Discussion Topic often include the following:

Thoroughness and accuracy of information presented in response to a discussion prompt or question.
Clear, direct response - something like a thesis or paragraph topic sentence, instead of a rambling statement.
Use of supporting evidence, such as information from the textbook, journal article, or online source.
Use and accuracy of APA or MLA documentation.
Accuracy of writing - grammar, spelling, appropriate tone and style.
Presence of both original post and a response to another classmate.
Length of post.
On-time submission.

Discussions are also used best with open-ended questions, where students can present their own opinions or claims, research findings, or personal experiences, instead of fact-based questions (such as textbook definitions) where all students are likely to have the same response. (A reading quiz may be more appropriate for this type of assessment.)

The Dept. of Online Learning provides support, collaboration, and faculty development in instructional design and online pedagogy.

We also provide technical support and troubleshooting for faculty and students.

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