Lesson 3.4:
Professional Communication in an Online Forum

If you’re taking an online class, you are likely to encounter a discussion board. With an asynchronous class, the discussion board may be the only way that you’re “showing up” and engaging with peers. Sometimes discussion posts can be tiresome—but they don’t have to be. Reframe your thinking and make your discussion posts express your critical thinking about the question posed. Discussion posts can also help you hone your writing, learn how to write persuasively, and help you meet and learn from your classmates. 

Here are some tips to help make your posts shine: 

1. Less is more. A focused and concise post of no more than 2-3 paragraphs can be more impactful than writing a short essay. Make sure that you have one main point that you’re presenting, and that you’re backing it up with evidence and examples.  

2. Free-write to get ideas flowing. After reading the prompt several times, set a timer for 20 minutes and write some responses freely, without editing. After 20 minutes, take a break and work on something else. When you return to the post, you can edit it and emphasize your main ideas by adding examples and citations. BOOM! You have a usable discussion post 

3. Offer your own perspective. Don’t regurgitate what your professor thinks or the main highlights of the chapter. Share your own perspective on the issue at hand and incorporate some of your professional or academic experiences to back up your take 

4. Expand the conversation. Saying “great post!” doesn’t count. Comment on your peer’s take and find additional evidence to support or expand their argument. You can also politely disagree with their opinion, but always do so respectfully and include reasons why you disagree or evidence to support your point. 

5. Consider your capitalizations. Capitalize words only for titles or to highlight your point. Keep in mind that capitalization can often be viewed online as SHOUTING. 

6. Cite your evidence. Include a proper APA or MLA citation at the end of your post that contains a reference to all the articles and webpages you referenced when writing your post 

7. Be mindful of your tone. It is fine to use humor in a discussion post but use it carefully. The absence of face-to-face cues can cause humor to be misinterpreted as criticism or anger. Feel free to use emoticons to help you underline your humorous point.  

8. Check the rubric. Often a professor will include a rubric for how she will grade and evaluate your discussion post. Refer back to that rubric to help you structure your posts for maximum impact 

Ask for a sample discussion post. When in doubt, ask your professor for a sample discussion post from a previous year that got an “A” for a grade. Read it through to get an idea of what your professor is looking for in terms of depth and specificity in the post.