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Discussion Guidelines

The success of any course has a great deal to do with how we all engage with the classroom content as well as in the discussion forum. We ask that you partake on this journey with us with an attitude of professionalism, inclusion, and respect. We ask that these standards be reflected in your discussions in our online forum.

You are invited to participate in the forum to share ideas and ask questions relating to each of the course’s eleven chapters.

We will do our best to reply, however, due to class size will not be able to answer every question.

The course team is based in Boston, MA and operates on EST. Your course moderators will be online each day (Monday-Friday) for a few hours.

We ask that you:

  • Be courteous, respectful and patient in your exchanges.
  • Read your comments before you post them.
  • Be concise so everyone can read as many posts as possible. Stick to a few sentences to a paragraph unless otherwise specified.
  • Do not use jargon or slang.
  • Avoid “shouting” with the use of capital letters.

In the spirit of Virginia Shea’s The Core Rules of Netiquette (2003), we remind you that every online username is linked to a real person with real feelings. Please be kind and accommodating, and be aware that many countries, languages and customs will be represented among the students undertaking this course.

FAQs for the Discussion forum

  1. How can I follow a thread in the Discussion?

    A. Click on the gray star icon in the top right hand corner of the post.

  2. I only want to view the threads I'm following. Is that possible?

    A. On the Discussion page, click on "Posts I'm Following" from the list of topics. When you are ready to see all posts again, click the All Topics breadcrumb link above the list of posts..

  3. How can I follow a particular person in the Discussion Board?

    A. The edX platform does not currently offer this function. But there is a way for you to see threads with contributions by a specific participant. Just click on that person's username near the top of a post or reply. That link opens a page where you can view recent activity by the participant. You can use your browser to bookmark this page.

  4. I posted a question in the Discussion Board. How will I know if someone responds?

    A. When you start a new thread, it will automatically be marked as a discussion to follow. You can get updates about all the threads you follow by going to the Discussion page and clicking on the check box for “receive update”. You only need to do this once. After that, you will receive a daily email digest about activity from posts you are following.

  5. I found a post that I think is inappropriate. What should I do?

    A. You can “flag” the post. A team member will review these flagged posts.

If you have any questions about course content, using edX or completing activities, you can also ask your moderator Robin Masi in the forum.

And always remember to STAY AWAKE!

To consult specific rules regarding EdX online conduct, please see the edX terms of service

To gain a better understanding of the discussion forum and how to participate in conversations with the course community, read this documentation from edX