Communicate the Importance of Interaction on the Discussion Board 1.1 2008/05/09 11:26:34.588 GMT-5 2008/05/09 14:52:07.635 GMT-5 Keith A. Restine krestine@twu.edu Keith A. Restine krestine@twu.edu Discussion Board Distance Education This module emphasizes the importance of establishing the expectation that participation is an important component in a distance course. Students need to know that you value participation on the discussion board. The quickest way to demonstrate this to many students is to include participation on the discussion board as a significant portion of your grading policy. Your task is to convince students that interaction and participation is a course requirement for success in your course. Include language throughout your course demonstrating that you value this participation and see it as important to individual and group success in the course. To succeed in this course, you must participate on the assigned discussion forums to the quality standards outlined in the course requirements. If you notice, almost a quarter of your grade comes from your postings and responses to your classmates. In simple terms, if you fail to participate, the highest grade you can receive (assuming perfect scores on all other assignments) is a C for the course. I believe interaction and participation with others will help you understand the content and provide a fuller course experience. Don't let me down by failing to participate. I will notice! You might be interested in reading Socializing Students to the Discussion Board or Using Tone to Increase Interaction, resources found on TWU ID, a set of resources for TWU distance educators.