Your online participation will be evaluated on your participation in the discussion forums, your completion of glossary entries, your weekly reflection and other online assignments

Moodle has many ways for me to evaluate your participation. For instance, I can determine the number of primary discussion postings, the number of secondary forum postings, the postings read, etc.  If a person tries to game the system, ie repeatedly viewing the same postings, I can determine that and the person will be penalized.

Below are the general guidelines for posting and guidelines for the discussion forums, the glossaries, and the weekly reflection.
 

The reflection should add your own thoughts and analysis to what you have read, saw or heard. Do NOT merely summarize the readings or videos - I already know what the content. You don’t need to regurgitate it back. What you SHOULD do is use the readings or videos as a “jumping off” point to write on your thoughts on some point in the the reading.  Discussion forum postings will be based on whether your postings tended to:

•  identify important points,
• clarify difficult concepts, and
•  generally try to facilitate each others understanding.

A  grade of (80% or better)  for the discussion forum requires that you

• do an initial posting of 150 - 250 words in each forum
• read all of the other postings for the forum in your group during the week of the readings and
• provide at least one comment/critique to at least TWO different person's inital postings.
• reference readings or videos where appropriate but no citations

You may of course continue the discussion as long as you feel appropriate or need to within reason.

Each week you should identify at least one term, concept or idea and define or explain it.

You should review all the terms for members in your group.

You should provide written comment on at least one.

The definitions CANNOT be copied from the book but should be in your own words.  Examples and Hypos can be included. where appropriate.  As you study and gain better understanding you should feel free to up-date your postings.
 

Think about the past week, what is the most important thing you learned? Why? Be thoughtful. Be reflective. Be specific. How will what you learn help you be a better lawyer?

Are there issues of diversity in any aspect of what you learned? That is can the law, concepts etc. be interpreted differently by different groups. Is the law neutral on its face but have the potential of having impact on different groups in application. Should the law be modified, or reformed to accommodate the needs of different groups? Why? Why not? If so, how? (NOTE: Don't articulate artificial, non-sensical relationship to diversity)

The reflection should be at least 150 words - indicate the total word count in the subject  line.

General Guidelines 
(Subject to modification without notice)

1.  Writing a post includes posting an original post and/or responding to one.  Responding to a post does not count as much as posting an original one.
2. The post must be substantial. Superficial, agree or disagree post or discounted or not counted at all. I will delete post that appear duplicate and superficial. If I notice a pattern of behavior it will affect your moodle grade
3. You earn points for reading a post, but the number of points count as a lower percentage of the total score than if you write or respond to a post
4. Moodle activity is always evaluated in the week of assignment.  So, for example, the only Moodle activity that will count in an upcoming week will be that which occurs in that week.  And, to a lesser value, in the In The News Section. except if a conversation continues to be active those conversations will be counted. Specifically, back reading old post will not count.
5. Posting, responding, and reading posts in the In The News section always counts less than activity in the section currently assigned.
6. Quantity counts, that is, of the students who are posting similar quality posting, the person with the most postings and who has read the most will get a higher raw score.
7. Quality counts. that is students will be rewarded for posting thoughtful on point posting.
8. Cutting and pasting articles do not count even if you add a short statement. Summarize the relevant content, provide a link and then discuss your reaction to the article.