Some courses, especially online courses, require you to participate in online class discussions. These are often used to encourage students to engage critically with course material and demonstrate their understanding.
The tips below are general tips for discussion posts and may not be ideal for all courses. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for your class!
Your initial post is your first response to a question posed by your instructor. The three steps below are key components to many class discussion posts (make sure you check your assignment instructions for any specifics!)
Answer the question
Do this first if possible. Provide a clear answer to the question (incorporating some of the question's wording in your answer is useful).
Give evidence
Provide an explanation for your point of view, and use evidence from your text, notes, or outside research (where appropriate) to support your point.
Explain the connection
Make sure to describe how your evidence proves your point! Don’t assume your reader sees the same connections you do.
Your post might also introduce a question or idea that others can follow up on. But make sure you have answered the initial question first!
Instructor’s question: Does brain size matter? Explain why or why not, using evidence from this week’s readings.
Reading: Salat, D. H. 2004. Thinning of the cerebral cortex in aging. Cerebral Cortex. 14: 721-730. Witelson, S. F. 1999.The exceptional brain of Albert Einstein. Lancet. 353: 2149-2153.
[1] Claim/Answer to question
[2] Evidence
[3] Explanation of how evidence proves claim
Student 1: [1] In answer to the question “does brain size matter?” I would say yes. Several studies provide evidence demonstrating that there is a link between brain size and intelligence. [2] Witelson (1999) compared the size of Einstein’s brain to that of other adult males and found that the parietal lobe—connected to logic and mathematical reasoning—was 15% larger than that of other men. [3] This is convincing because the part of the brain that was larger than normal was connected to Einstein’s intellectual strengths (logic/reasoning), which we know were significantly greater than those of the average person. In addition, Salat (2004) used MRI scans to study the volume of different parts of the brain. He found that the size of cortical and hippocampal matter had a significant impact on adults’ memory functions. [3] Both studies show that not only do specific parts of the brain impact certain functions, but the size of those parts impacts the quality of that functioning.
The key thing to remember about follow-up posts is that you must add something new to the discussion, rather than simply saying you agree or disagree with another person’s post.
Two ways you might do this are:
Again, make sure your post has the three parts mentioned earlier:
Reading: Skoyles, J. R. 1999. Human evolution expanded brains to increase expertise capacity, not IQ. Psycoloquy. 10. Retrieved Aug. 5, 2009, from http://cogprints.org/6348/1/Skoyles_ Human _ evolution_expanded_brains_expertise_not_IQ.pdf (002).
[1] Claim/Answer to question
[2] Evidence
[3] Explanation of how evidence proves claim
[4] Response to previous post
Student 2: [1][4] I agree with Student1—brain size does matter. [4][3] I wasn’t totally convinced by the study of Einstein’s brain, however, since it seemed like the research was done more out of personal interest (because it was Einstein) than in an attempt to establish a theory. [4][3] The approach of researchers in the MRI study Student1 mentioned was much more convincing because they compared several participants and looked at a specific function of the brain. There is also convincing evolutionary science that supports this belief. [2] Skoyles (1999) notes that the human brain has evolved to a larger size than that of its predecessor, homo erectus. He believes that the larger size is what allows humans to develop expertise over time. By expertise, he means skills and knowledge about how to perform vital activities, like hunting and gathering. [3] So, having a larger brain is not only linked to greater intelligence, but also to human survival.
For more useful tips to succeed in online courses, such as staying motivated and navigating technology, check out our Learning Online libguide!
The material on this page is from Write an Online Discussion created by McLaughlin Library. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in February 2025. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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