DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM INSTRUCTIONS

The learning theories upon which this course is based are actualized in the Discussion Board Forums. At the beginning of each module/week, you will choose a key term to research. You will be required to write a thread of at least 400 words on the topic, complete with page references and specifics to document the response, and submit it to the corresponding Discussion Board Forum. Correct use of English and grammar are required.

Additionally, you will be required to submit a substantive written reply of at least 200 words to at least 3 classmates' Discussion Board Forum threads.

To complete your thread:

1. Select a key term from assigned chapters.

2. Terms cannot be duplicated; therefore, reserve your term as a topic on the Discussion Board Forum by submitting a thread with only the term in the subject line. Topics can be reserved beginning at 12:01 a.m. (ET) on Monday for Module/Week 1 and on Tuesday for Modules/Weeks 3, 5, and 7. Topic reservations submitted earlier will be deleted.

3. Conduct an Internet search to find and read 3 recent articles that relate to the term.

4. Select the 1 article that you wish to discuss.

5. Submit a thread that contains the following information in the following format, using the headers so that you ensure that all aspects of the assignment are completed as required. Failure to follow these instructions will result in a 1-point deduction.

a. Definition: Give a brief definition of the key term followed by the current APA reference for the term; this does not count in the 400-word requirement.

b. Summary: Give a brief summary of the selected article, in your own words.

c. Discussion:

i. Give a brief discussion of how the article relates to the selected chapter key term. This gives you the opportunity to add value to the discussion by sharing your experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Draw your peers into discussion of topics by asking questions. This is the most important part of the thread.

ii. Biblical Integration: Use at least 1 appropriate scripture verse or narrative from the Bible to support your discussion. Are there any biblical examples of this term, is the term you are responding to related to a term you researched, if so, how?

iii. Include the complete URL of each article read (use a persistent link for articles from the Jerry Falwell Library). Each reference must be in current APA format. These do not count toward the 400-word requirement.

Grading
Consult the accompanying rubric for how your instructor will grade this assignment. Also, any form of plagiarism, including cutting and pasting, will result in zero points for the entire assignment, plus a required 500-word written paper on the topic of plagiarism in order to receive credit for this assignment.

Tips

Articles may be found in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, or any other reputable website that deals with business. You will be performing academic research, which utilizes reliable sources of information from reputable magazines or newspapers that are available in electronic format or hard copy. Sites that are absolutely not acceptable are:

• Wikipedia

• About.com

• Commercial sites (usually a consultant's web page, but may take other forms)

• Blogs (be careful, some look very convincing)

• Education sites (these usually do not contain articles, but rather lecture notes or student papers)

You can utilize the Jerry Falwell Library portal for research, but note that some articles may not offer persistent links. If you utilize articles found in LexisNexis or other sites that are behind security walls, you will need to make the articles available to classmates by copying and pasting into a Microsoft Word document and attaching the document to the thread. If this is done, be sure that you include the references in current APA format at the bottom of the Discussion Board thread. This is easily accomplished by saving all articles to a folder and then making the folder a zip file. The zip file can then be attached to the Discussion Board submission.

The availability of the articles that you research regarding the topic is important because classmates must be able to read the articles to form their own opinions and gain further insight into the topic. Students need to understand not merely the key terms but also how to research reliable sources. This is not only to further their education, but also for their professional use.