The Discussion Board (DB) is part of the core of online learning. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires the active participation of students and the instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Every student is expected to create an original response to the open-ended DB question as well as engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the week. At the end of each unit, DB participation will be assessed based on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.
At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the weekly dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Wednesday of each week. Two additional responses are required after Wednesday of each week. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.
The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each week.
As the fund manager for a large mutual fund, you are preparing for a conference call with all your major investors. You plan to e-mail everyone with an attachment that will serve as a guide for the upcoming call. You know investors' time is limited, so you want to be focused in your brief report. Because there are numerous figures to discuss, you will be including 1 or more charts all in the same document.
For each of the following points, prepare both a paragraph of commentary and an appropriate chart to support it.
Find the last 4 years' sales and profit or net income data for a major retail corporation.
Calculate profit as a percentage of sales; be careful to place the decimal point correctly.
Prepare a paragraph of explanation/interpretation of the data as if this were a small part of a lengthy report to potential investors.
Prepare a chart to display all the information in a meaningful way.
Suggestions for Responding to Peer Posts
Review your peer's chart and commentary, and consider the following questions:
Is their commentary sufficient support for the chart and enough information to supply potential investors with?
Is the chart understandable or confusing?
What do you think about the chart design?
Was the sales, net income, and percentage of sales calculated correctly? If not, explain what went wrong and provide the correct calculations.