Visualizing Ecology Fall Quarter (2006)

Composing Commentaries and Replies

General guidelines for commentaries:

A commentary a written response to the seminar reading. Commentaries are designed to focus your active attention on the critical concepts of the week's reading. You should read the text(s) before you compose the commentary. Be sure to make explicit reference to the concepts expressed in the texts and other class materials, and cite the page numbers of your references. The critical element that we are looking for in your commentaries is evidence that you have read the materials and are posting from a serious and informed engagement with the reading.

Your commentary should be at least 300 words in length. (Microsoft Word allows you to count the number of words in a document by selecting "Tools" from the toolbar at the very top of the page, and then selecting "Word Count.")

Commentaries should be posted by 5 pm on the Sunday before our seminar discussion.

Questions that might serve as useful starting points for your commentary:

1. What is the connection between the seminar reading and the program themes? Does the seminar reading help to answer questions that have been raised earlier in the program?
2. What are the author's major claims in the reading? Why do these claims matter?
3. What kinds of evidence and reasoning are provided to support the author's claims? Does the author effectively support his/her claims?
4. What rings true? What are the most compelling aspects of the reading?
5. What rings false? What are the least compelling aspects of reading?
6. Were there sections that made you confused, delighted, or angry? Why?

Tips to keep in mind when composing commentaries:

1. Avoid quoting too heavily from the book. If you use a quote, restate the concept in your own words to show that you understand it. Also, be sure to cite the page number.
2. Avoid paraphrasing too heavily from the book. Everyone in your audience has read the source, so focus on analyzing rather than summarizing the seminar reading.
3. Be judicious with your questions. Go for quality rather than quantity by posing one question within a framework that explains its relevance and presents your own suggestions about how you would answer the question.
4. Make liberal references to the text, and make very clear the distinction between received information (e.g. "According to X" or "As X suggests," etc.) and your ideas ("I suggest," It seems to me that..." etc.).
5. Use your word processor to compose so you can correct spelling and change things easily. When you are happy with your commentary, SAVE your document and then copy the entire text to your clipboard. Then go online to the Drupel classroom, select Forum from the buttons to the right of your window and go to the appropriate week folder, and create a new topic to paste your commentary. For the subject of your commentary, give your LAST name (for example, "Smith"). You'll see the reason for this as you begin reading and responding to each other's commentaries. Remember to save and print your commentaries so that you can include them in your portfolio!

General Guidelines for Replies to Commentaries:

After all the commentaries have been posted to the forum for the appropriate week, you should begin to read and reply to the commentaries of your peers. As you read commentaries and discussion, think about what the writer is saying and respond to the points you find especially important or interesting. The following are the kinds of responses that might further the understanding of other seminar participants.

• Identify a question or a problem in a commentary
• Pose a solution to a question or problem
• Clarify a confusion
• Bring new information to support an argument
• Offer an alternative solution or interpretation
• Pose a question which furthers the discussion
• Point out connections among ideas
• Discuss how one's own views have changed or how one has gained new insight as the result of this commentary
• Propose avenues for further research on the topic

Your responses should be long enough to be substantive and effectively communicate your thought to your peers. Length is not as important as crafting a thoughtful response to your colleagues' commentary. However, if your replies are consistently less than 100 words it is probably a sign that you are not thinking deeply enough about their comments or fully articulating your ideas.

You must post at least two responses by Monday at 5:00 pm before our seminar meeting.

NetiquetteCivility is important in all forms of communication, be they in person or online. To develop a learning community, we all need to be respectful of each other's work. Abrasive, abusive, dismissive, or intimidating messages directed to anyone in the program will not be tolerated. In composing your commentaries and replies, remember that there are many aspects of oral communication that cannot be replicated exactly in the online environment. Irony and sarcasm are especially hard to detect. Things that help mitigate the force of a verbal message--tone of voice, facial expression, body posture, etc.--must be incorporated into the way we phrase our messages. That does not mean that you should avoid correcting, questioning, and challenging each other. However, make sure to maintain a courteous and constructive tone in your commentaries and replies.