DRIVERS EDUCATION

What is Considered a Substantive Response?

How do I know if my response to a classmates post is good enough to receive credit?

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What is Considered a Substantive Response?

Discussion questions require substantive responses to your peers. A simple, "Good job," or "Nice Work," will not suffice for substantive participation credit. 

Successful online learning requires active and timely participation in the discussion area. Students earn weekly participation grades based upon the quality of their responses to weekly assignments, including discussion questions. Participation point values in the learning experience are defined within each assignment as presented in the grading criteria or as directed by the facilitator.

Students are expected to read the online lecture and all posts in the discussion area. Posting assignments or emails to students and/or faculty outside of classroom threads does not count as participation.

Participation is an opportunity for your instructor to see what you have learned and for you to demonstrate your comprehension of the materials. Substantive discussion should include the use of: 

* relevant vocabulary words 
* concepts from the readings exhibiting a command of the subject matter 
* appropriate documentation or citation 

When responding to your peers, praise them for what they are doing well, and lend your own information and/or perspective to your peer's discussion response. (All of your responses within the discussion threads need to be no less than six or seven full sentences in length and pertain to the Main Discussion Topic, in order to be eligible for participation credit).
Also, when composing your discussion responses, reference research materials, online or written sources, or other sources of information to back up your ideas and discussion topics. By adding references, you give your responses an added weight and a level of professionalism.

Substantive participation consists of responses to classmates or the instructor in classroom discussions that relate to the course subject matter. Substantive responses should not be mere opinion, but must be based upon: 

* the course content 
* assigned reading 
* related outside resources 
* personal experience relevant to the week's topics 


Quality participation in the discussion occurs by: 

* asking a question that generates more discussion 
* providing a statement of clarification 
* providing a point of view with rationale 
* challenging a point of discussion 
* making a relationship between one or more points of the discussion 

If you should have any questions, regarding as to what may constitute that of Substantive Participation within the Discussion Threads, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I will always be more than happy to help with whatever I can.