Participation on discussion assignment is to be substantive. In other words, posting comments like “I agree,” “That’s great,” “I wish I would have thought of that,” or “What do you mean?” are not considered substantive. A substantive posting is defined as participation that is rich, deep and probing. It sometimes piggybacks on someone else’s comment, challenging assumptions or adding depth to the discussion. Sometimes it is a new idea or question. Substantive input adds depth to a discussion and carries its own weight. It demonstrates that you are using your critical thinking skills and values the advancement of knowledge for yourself and others. A checklist for substantive postings includes these types of questions: •Does the response add a new insight to ideas already offered? •Does it challenge previous ideas and add appropriate counter-thought? •Does it give a sense of the “ah-ha” and encourage deeper thought? •Does it take enough time to “wallow” in an idea and ask probing questions? •Does it demonstrate that you have done appropriate reading and/or research on the topic? Class Presence, Participation & Follow-Up: The class is conducted entirely online. It adopts a student-centered learning approach that expects students to be active and responsible participants in their own learning. Online classes allow flexibility, but also require self-discipline of the students. To ensure a successful completion of the course, students must be well organized, self-motivated, and possess a high degree of time management skills in order to keep up with the pace of the course. Per university policy, you are expected to spend an average of 10-12 hours per week on a 3-unit 12-week MPA course. Your study time may vary (more or less than 10-12 hours) depending on your prior preparation. Active participation is crucial to the learning process in the course. You are free to be online anytime. Attendance Requirement: Since this is an online course and does not require in-class attendance, students are still expected to meet stated due dates for assignments, participation in the discussion board and/or meeting requirements as provided in the beginning of each course. If a student fails
