If you follow these 3 guidelines, you will receive full credit for each blog.

1. The post is written in clear, concise, English language, flows well, is spelled correctly, and has no major or repetitive grammatical errors. Sentences are complete sentences. There is no minimum or maximum word length. Be clear and to the point. A brief, but cogent, post is preferable to a lengthy, rambling one.

2. The post is informed by accurate and current knowledge on the subject, based on readings, discussions, and/or additional research. Sources outside of assigned readings or classes should be cited.

3. Some of the blog topics ask you to make a policy recommendation, or at least to advocate for a point of view. For the topics that ask you to take an opinion, state the various pros and cons for the opinion. Explain your position, state what assumptions underlie your position, and note any evidence to support your point of view.

Regarding responses: to gain full credit for the response to a post, be sure that you politely respond, but with description and detail. Simply saying, “I agree,” or “I disagree,” is not sufficient. Express your point of view but give some description (as in number 2. above). Responses do not have to always take a point of view. If you can add detail, a richer description, another example from a different country, culture, or context – these are all very acceptable responses.