Forum: The Islamic World

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Based on your readings in this module, answer the following questions.

(1) In what ways did Muhammad emerge as a religious and political leader? (2) What are the principal teachings of Islam? (3) In what ways did the Islamic movement fracture and divide?

In your response, you must explain your reasons, citing specific examples (points and arguments, not simply quotes) from the readings. 

Please note that you are free to consult sources other than the class textbook. 

REMEMBER: When writing your post, you must follow the guidelines that are outlined in the “Rubric” and under “Discussion Forum: How to Do It,” both of which are found under the Discussion Forum module.

The Discussion Rubric

What is a Rubric?

A rubric is simply defined as a set of criteria used to evaluate your work in this class.  These rubrics are, in fact, scoring tools that identify the various criteria relevant to an assignment and the course learning outcomes.  There are learning outcomes for this course – articulated by the History Department and by BRCC’s General Education Committee (please refer to the syllabus for those learning outcomes).  These rubrics explicitly state the possible levels of achievement along a continuum, for example, “poor to excellent.”

I post these rubrics here for your review in order to clearly communicate expectations of your work, and I use them to evaluate your work for fair, objective, and efficient grading.  By reviewing the learning standards in these rubrics, you will become more aware of performance markers needed to earn high marks.

In more practical terms, for each discussion forum, you will be asked to respond to a question(s) to discuss substantively with your classmates. The questions and issues for discussion will be based on your weekly readings. Please click on to understand precisely how you will be graded on the discussion forum.

How to Do It

The question for discussion will be available by Tuesday mornings the week of the forum assignment.

For each discussion, you are required to submit one (1) initial post and respond to the posts of at least two (2) different classmates.

When writing your initial post, keep the following in mind:

(1) Write one to two paragraphs that evaluate(s) and answer(s) the question; this will be a minimum of 250 words. If your initial post is less than 250 words, regardless of its brilliance, your score will be lower (see Rubric).

(2) Be sure to write in complete sentences and to utilize paragraphs to give structure to your work. Pay attention to spelling and grammar. You will be graded on the technical quality of the writing itself.

(3) Be sure to cite your sources. This MUST include the following: 

(a) the title of the source (book, article);

(b) the name of the author;

(c) page number(s), if applicable. 

It is not sufficient to simply cut and paste a website link.

(4) In your post, be sure to cite specific examples from the reading materials. PLEASE NOTE: Many students believe erroneously that “specific examples” means filling up their posts with quotations from the readings. Quotations are not examples! A post filled with quotations does not demonstrate an understanding of the issue or question. Therefore, write in your own words!

(5)  Your initial post is due by 8:00 PM on Thursday evening.  If you do not submit an follow-up post by Friday evening at 8:00 PM, your score will be lower (see Rubric).

When writing follow-up posts, keep the following in mind:

(1) Reply to at least two different classmates. This means their originalpost, not simply classmates replying to your post.

(2) Your follow-up post should be at least 75 words. If your follow-up post is less than 75 words, regardless of its brilliance, your score will be lower (see Rubric).

Follow-up posts can be a bit difficult, in large part because they force you to think and reply in a contemplative, introspective manner. While you can be supportive of your peers by saying, “I agree” or “Great post!” or “Wow, I never thought of that”, these statements alone are not sufficient. For suggestions on how to write effective follow-up posts, refer to the page entitled “Responding to Classmates’ Posts.”

Do not wait until the last two hours on Sunday evening to post follow-ups. Remember, the point of the forum is dialogue and if you wait until the last two hours, there will be very little dialogueof any redeeming quality. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of posts done within those last hours tend to be lame, rushed, sloppy, and without much serious thought and will be graded accordingly.

(3) The final deadline for any and all submissions is Sunday evening at 8:00 PM. Any posts made thereafter will not be recognized or graded. 

PLEASE NOTE: The initial post is due on Thursday night (see above).