Online class discussion provides a forum for thought-provoking, intellectual, and engaging discourse amongst students and the professor.

The ENG102 Discussion Forum is a student-centered and student-driven framework in which students post a one-paragraph “mini essay” and then provide/receive feedback to/from a community of fellow learners.

FIRST, students post an initial response within the first 6 days of the module start, thus allowing ample time for classmates to respond and engage.

Mini essays should include an opening, thesis statement, three “points” (including details and examples as support) and a conclusion.

Mini essays are to consist of your own thoughts, words, and ideas.

SECOND, students respond to at least two peer mini essays.

When responding to other students’ writing (and in order to earn full point values), students are encouraged to provide specific detail and example related to the mini essay in question. When providing feedback, students should consider the following:

• Does the essay include the required parts? If not, what’s missing?
• Is there a thesis statement and is it clear? If not, what is unclear? Does the thesis relate to the supporting points?
• Are there three specific points in the paragraph? Is each point introduced with a topic sentence?
• Is there enough detail/example in the paragraph to accurately support the thesis? If not, what could be added?
• Is the closing effective? Does it summarize the content of the mini essay? If not, how might it be more effective?
• Is the mini essay free of sentence skill errors? If not, what are the specific grammar, punctuation, and/or spelling errors? Is the diction (word choice) appropriate for an academic audience? If not, which words should be avoided?

Please note that a peer review writing workshop is an opportunity to provide (and receive) constructive feedback from an academic community in order to improve one’s writing. It is not a venue for chitchat or a place to discuss how one relates (or does not relate) to the writers’ points of view.

Topic: Select an issue related to your major or current/future career and write an argumentative post—clear, concise, focused, and structured—including two or more citations from one online source. Be sure to include a References entry for the source (in APA Style) in your post.