I have commented before on the need to expand the study and discussion of literature outside of class time. There is more to say about most pieces of literature than can be done in three hours a week (among which is the very definition of "literature," which is not an uncomplicated matter). Some of that requires recourse to materials that cannot be easily or appropriately accessed during class time. Some of it requires more thought than the classroom environment permits. Some also needs to come from those who do not or cannot, for whatever reason, speak up in class.
To facilitate that discussion, I require the students in my Spring 2014 section of ENGL 2543 to make no fewer than five substantial posts per week to the discussion boards set up in the class's D2L section for that purpose. To forestall confusion about what counts as a "substantial" post, I offer the following set of guidelines for such posts:
Posts that are regarded as being "substantial" must be at least 250 words in length each, excluding any necessary quotations and/or citations.
A substantial post needs to clearly identify what text is being discussed.
Such a post must address texts assigned for class reading (but not necessarily those discussed during class time) on a date on or before the post is made, or must be responses to the posts of other participants in the discussion. Other materials may be integrated (as long as they are integrated appropriately, according to MLA standards), but each post must be demonstrably on topic.
A substantial post will do one of the following:
make a claim about its topic, present evidence in support of that claim, and explain how the evidence supports the claim;
respond to the claim made with evidence and explanation thereof;
identify a point of confusion or uncertainty in the topic, note the source of confusion about the point, and ask for clarification about the point; or
offer clarification requested thereby, grounding the clarification in well-explained evidence.
Substantial posts are not abusive; they may note disagreement and may argue against the positions articulated by other participants, but they may not offer ad hominem attacks or display behaviors deemed offensive or inappropriate by the course instructor, including but not limited to racist and/or sexist discourse, flagrant obscenity, threats of violence, and grammar policing. Please note that some of the works studied will themselves demonstrate unfavorable attributes such as racism, sexism, and obscenity, but there is a marked difference between noting that a given text makes racist comments or analyzing those comments and directing such comments at other participants in the discussion.
Substantial posts will adhere to standards of usage reasonably appropriate to collegiate discourse and as stipulated in MLA guidelines.
Five substantial posts in a week will earn the poster an A, four a B, three a C, two a D, and one or none an F. Posts of exceptional quality will be rewarded at a higher rate within the grade category than those of adequate quality. Posts of minimal quality will be rewarded at a lesser rate.
More information is forthcoming.