Listerv Participation Guide

Although you will note receive a grade in this seminar, let's use a grade analogy:
  • "F" contribution
    You do not contribute in class or online except when required, and a lack of preparation is obvious.
  • "D" contribution
    You rarely contribute, and you contribute little except straight facts or other peoples' ideas.
  • "C" contribution
    You contribute each week, but you often have trouble identifying the implications of the arguments being discussed, or seem afraid to make "mistakes," or to say something not perfectly "correct."
  • "B" contribution
    You contribute each week and offer more than just "facts." You respond to the implications of other students' ideas, and are not afraid to take a chance even when a comment isn't certain to "right." You are also willing to serve as a co-owner of the TEST-L listserv.
  • "A" contribution
    You do everything the "B" participant does, and in addition you occasionally try to weave together various threads of the discussion in a way that redirects the conversation toward new areas or toward a possible synthesis. You also attempt to appreciate dissent and complexity as incentives for new thinking.

    Additional Guidelines for E-Mail Discussions Only

    Sending Useful Messages:
    • short, to-the point messages (less than a full screen to about a screen and a half) are usually better than long messages
    • correctly spelled and grammatical messages are always better than misspelled and ill-phrased ones
    • messages that raise important issues, based on the readings for an upcoming class discussion, are particularly valuable (and duly rewarded with discussion credit)
    • messages after a class that recast the day's discussion or lecture in imaginative ways are also valuable
    • as are messages that synthesize or redirect the arguments of a number of prior messages
    • messages that intelligently (and civilly) dissent from the majority view or the professor's, or simply open a fresh line of inquiry, are always welcomed
    Don't let this list intimidate you. E-mail is "first draft" writing and a certain amount of typos and rough phrasing is to be expected. Most people find it easier to collect their thoughts and compose an e-mail message, at a time that feels right to them, than to speak up in a traditional class.
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