Purpose:

· To provide students with opportunity to interact with each other.

· To expose students to primary sources and encourage strong analysis and Biblical evaluation.

Requirements:

Initial Thread (50% of overall score) should:

· be within 300-400 words

·  be written in essay format

· include a clear introduction with a strong thesis statement, a body and a conclusion. (3-5 paragraphs)

· give consideration to professional conversation, avoiding colloquial phrases, and maintaining kind and considerate verbiage. Less formal writing (first and second person pronouns, contractions) is allowable.

· follow Turabian, Author-Date style for source citations. Both parenthetical citations and the reference list are required, as students are drawing from different sources for this assignment. (See page 2 of this document for resources and specific examples.)

Response Posts (50% of overall score) should:

· be a minimum of 100 words to be counted toward the two minimum posts

· follow the same guidelines as initial threads for source citation and writing.

· Minimum posts include: response posted to a classmates’ thread, answer to a question posted on your own thread, or continued conversation with a classmate on the board.

· See page 2 of this document for tips on participation.

Grading:

· Please note that each portion of the assignment is worth 50%. Instructors can deduct up to 50% from the rubric score for any missing posts. 

· Personal attacks, unkind words, profanity and other vulgar forms of communication will not be tolerated. The instructor can delete such posts at his/her own discretion and is not required to let you rewrite the work. Consider Eph. 5:4 “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving,” Let’s treat others with the respect we would like to be shown.

· For details on points and distribution, see the Grading Rubric.

Tips for Participation:

· Engage with the classmate’s specific thesis/argument.

· Be encouraging, but go beyond “I agree,” or “I like.”

· Avoid “grading” type of comments. This is not a forum for constructive criticism, but rather a space for conversation on the topic you’ve chosen.

· Encourage dialogue by asking good questions:

o Avoid yes or no questions – these kill conversations

o Avoid rapid fire questions – stick to one question at a time to avoid overwhelming your classmates.

o Avoid questions that contain the answer.

o Ask open-ended questions

· Make sure that you are including strong supporting details in your responses, whether you are offering additional analysis for an argument with which you agree, or providing support to strengthen a challenge.

Remember, the purpose of this assignment is to engage in critical thinking and serious discussion. This can only be done when you take the time to engage classmates, respond to their threads, ask and answer questions, and consider comments and questions posed to you.

Guidelines for Source Citation:

This assignment follows Turabian guide, using the Author-Date style. For details on how to format citations using Author-Date style, visit the LUO Writing Center at the website below. You can view full essay examples, as well as guidelines on citing specific sources.

http://www.liberty.edu/academics/graduate/writing/index.cfm?PID=34289 

General examples of source citations for the Discussion Forum assignment:

Direct Quote:

According to Hammurabi, “He may, however, assign a field, garden, or house which he has bought, and holds as property, to his wife or daughter or give it for a debt” (“Hammurabi’s Code,” 2017, 39).

Summary/Paraphrase:

In Byzantine towns, each family was responsible for its own upkeep, which generally included a small garden with either a fruit tree or vines, and work by family members in arts such as basketweaving, sewing, and the making of other household goods (Rautman, 2017, 1).