Students are required to do research and engage in a discussion with the class – a great place to test your ideas but please be kind and respectful to the opinions of others. This assignment is intended to hone your skills as a responsible citizen, so that you can make an impact on our world and your local community.
You will be required to provide a Post (your own discussion) that appropriately and substantively answers the question prompt in Cougar Courses. You are also required to provide two Replies on the posts of other students.
Directions on Completing the Discussion Forum
To provide your Post, simply click on the reply button to the Discussion Forum Prompt: Please Reply to This Question. To provide your two Replies, simply choose which students to respond to and click reply button at the bottom of the student post.
Your Post must be long enough to thoroughly cover the discussion Forum prompts: minimum two paragraphs, with six to ten sentences each paragraph. This comes out to 150-word count minimum per paragraph for a total of 300-word count minimum for your Post. Discussion Posts will be marked down for falling below the 300-word count floor.
The Post must include substantive material from the book. Online sources cannot substitute for book material (except when indicated). You may use online sources to augment your comments, but not to replace book material.
Also, your Post must adequately answer the discussion forum prompts. Students will lose points for failing to answer the question prompt, or for failing to answer all parts of the question prompt.
The deadline for your Post is always due before the deadline for the Replies. Please check the syllabus to verify when the Posts and Replies are due. Any Posts submitted after the deadline will not be graded.
The two Replies must be minimum one paragraph in length each, or about six to ten sentences in length. This comes out to a 100-word minimum count per Reply paragraph. Discussion Replies will be marked down for falling below the 100-word count floor.
Replies must be substantive and specific. Saying “good job” or “I agree”, is not enough. Students must put some thought into their Replies.
Availability and Due Date?
Discussion Forum #8 will be available beginning Monday, November 8th, 12:00am.
The deadline to complete your post and earn full points (9pts) is Friday, November 12th, 11:55pm.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE FRIDAY DEADLINE FOR THE POST!!!
The deadline to complete the two replies (3pts each) is Sunday, November 14th, 11:55pm.
Discussion Forum #8 Topic
To complete Discussion Forum #8 please answer respond to the question prompts below:
This week’s readings focus on development. Development is considered the endgame of globalization. Poorer countries embrace globalization to become developed. However, how we get there is a good question. And there is an ongoing debate on whether or not wealthy countries should help poorer countries on this road to development. This debate is intense and is of great importance in the globalization discourse.
Two of the authors this week, Sachs and Easterly, offer completely opposite viewpoints on the benefits of foreign aid in development. For this discussion forum, first contrast the two approaches in the first paragraph. Explain Sach’s argument, then Easterly’s. Then in your second paragraph, clearly state which author you think has the better argument. Do not say I agree with both, or try to split the difference. If you truly understand the readings, you will see that the two approaches are mutually exclusive. They represent the opposite ends of the debate.
Also, I strongly suggest that students first watch the recorded lecture, then go over the readings. I add context to what the authors write, and it will help you when writing your post.
In your post, make sure to cite the page numbers from the readings. Students need to be reading the articles. Students who do not cite from the readings will lose half points.
Finally, please respond to two other students’ posts. Each reply must be to an opposite argument. So if you think Sachs had the better argument, find a post where your fellow student supports Easterly, and explain why you disagree. DO NOT SAY GOOD JOB OR I AGREE! This discussion forum is set up for students to have a real discussion on foreign aid and development. Students who fail to reply to their opposite argument will not receive points for their reply. And as always, be respectful!
NOTE: You will not see the posts of your peers until you post your response to my prompt. You must wait 15 minutes and then refresh the page (or click on the prompt) before you will see the responses.