Starlog and Discussion Guidelines
We are absolutely thrilled to have such a talented, creative, and passionate group of students. Although we anticipate respectful dialogue and constructive comments in our discussion boards and on Facebook, we want to lay out some guidelines to help ensure this is a positive learning experience for all students. These guidelines apply to all discussions in and about the course, whether that is in the course discussion board or through email.
- Positive and constructive debate is welcomed and encouraged! One thing that is not encouraged, and will not be tolerated, is abusive or disrespectful communication with your peers. The discussions are a place for you to interact with peers from around the world, so let's also all ensure we make it a supportive place to learn together. We have some additional guidelines for how to respectfully debate with someone. You can find them here.
- Sharing: you are absolutely welcome to share your portfolios, your blogs, your websites, and your writing. Please do not promote or post commercial activities in our course communities.
- Feedback: We are learning all the time about how to make this course the best experience it can be for the students. We welcome your ideas and feedback. If you would like to send us thoughts directly, please e-mail us: smithsonianxcourses@gmail.com. If you have non-course related criticism about Promethean, CBS, the Smithsonian, or any members of our course team or fellow students, you are welcome to have that dialogue outside of the course, but please do not share it here. Personal attacks will not be tolerated.
We hope these guidelines are straightforward. If we see a violation, a member of the
Tips for Discussing Controversial Topics
Here are some guidelines to follow when participating in a debate about a topic you’re passionate about or that is controversial in some way.
- Build and support your arguments using evidence. What have you seen, heard, or read that supports your point? Be specific; use examples. Model the behavior of evidence-based argument.
- Criticize ideas, not people. Name calling and personal attacks are one of the quickest ways to make a debate unpleasant. If someone says something you disagree with, you can offer your own idea by saying:
a. “That’s one way to look at it but have you thought about…”
b. “I disagree. I think that…”
c. “Interesting point. In my opinion…” - Ask questions and avoid speculation. Effective debate happens when you offer facts to support your idea and ask questions of other people to get them to support their own ideas. Instead of assuming someone is wrong, ask them to back up their statement.
a. “I haven’t ever thought of it that way. Can you explain your thinking a little more?”
b. “I’m not sure I agree. What evidence are you using to support your idea?”
c. “Interesting. Where can I see examples or learn more about what you’re talking about?” - Avoid rude, vulgar, or inflammatory language. Swearing, being rude, or intentionally trying to make someone angry is another fast way of making a debate less fun.
Heated and lively debate can still be polite and light-hearted. - Respect people’s lived experiences. Don’t argue with people about the knowledge that they bring to the course from their own lives. You can offer your own experiences, insights, and conclusions. But you cannot invalidate someone else’s experiences.
- Agree to disagree. Often, debates are never resolved. You just need to agree to disagree. If you’re finished with a debate and are ready to move on, you can just let the other person or people know that by saying:
a. “Looks like we need to agree to disagree. This has been fun. Thanks.”
b. “I’m not sure we’re going to resolve this. Thanks for the great conversation though!”
c. “I don’t think my mind is going to be changed on this one. Thanks for the fun debate!”