This guide is for BUSI 338 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1, start to submission. A 350 to 400-word thread with a source and two 150 to 200-word replies that amplify or critique.
BUSI 338 is Developing Entrepreneurial Opportunities, 3 credit hours, in Liberty University's BS in Business Administration. Canvas and the course guide file print the code as BUSI338; it is the same course.
| Course | BUSI 338 Developing Entrepreneurial Opportunities |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 1 |
| Points | 90 points |
| Length | Thread 350 to 400 words; replies 150 to 200 words |
| Replies | At least 2 classmates' threads, 150 to 200 words each |
| Sources | At least 1 source in the thread |
| Faith integration | Not required by the guide |
| Format | Canvas discussion thread; current APA |
What BUSI 338 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1 asks for
Forum 1 is due in Module/Week 1 with Megginson and Byrd chapter 1. You post a thread of 350 to 400 words on the prompt, supported by at least 1 source, and reply to at least 2 classmates in 150 to 200 words with substantive responses that amplify or positively critique their work. Worth 90 points.
Where it fits in BUSI 338
In the published schedule, Discussion Board Forum 1 is one of 9 graded written assignments in BUSI 338. It is the first written assignment in the course; the next is Week 1 New Venture Project Summary Report. The same week also has New Venture Project Summary Report, so plan the week's writing together.
How BUSI 338 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1 is graded
Liberty grades Discussion Board Forum 1 with the rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas, worth 90 points in the published guide. That is about 9% of the course's 1,010 points. Open the rubric before you draft and read across each row: the top column describes what full credit looks like, and the gap between columns tells you what costs points.
Course grades in BUSI 338 use Liberty's point scale: an A is 900 to 1010 points of the course total. Missing the length or source minimum usually costs points on several rows at once, which is why the checklist below starts with them.
Timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Check the due dates in your Canvas section, which govern.
The BUSI 338 Week 1 method, step by step
Read the prompt against the week's material
Copy the Discussion Board Forum 1 prompt into your notes and number each question inside it. Then skim the Module/Week 1 reading for the pages that answer each number, so the thread is built from Developing Entrepreneurial Opportunities material rather than general opinion.
Take a position in the first two sentences
Lead with the claim, not the background. One sentence that answers the prompt, one that says why, and the reader of your BUSI 338 thread knows exactly what the next paragraphs will prove.
Build the body from course concepts
Each body paragraph should carry one idea from the Developing Entrepreneurial Opportunities reading, put to work on the prompt. Define it briefly, apply it, and say what it changes. Repeating the chapter back is the most common reason threads score in the middle of the rubric.
Place the sources where they do work
Use At least 1 source in the thread. A citation belongs to the sentence it supports; a reference list with sources that never appear in the paragraphs does not count toward the requirement in practice.
Connect it to practice
Close the argument with application. Name the setting and what someone there would do differently because of your answer.
Write replies that add something
Replies are graded too (At least 2 classmates' threads, 150 to 200 words each). Agree or disagree with a specific point, add a source or example the classmate did not use, and ask one real question. Praise alone does not meet the word count in substance.
Use one statistic on small business survival and connect it to one or two causes the text names. Replies should add a cause or a remedy your classmate missed.
A structure for BUSI 338 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1
Word targets are planning numbers for about 450 words of body text, set by the length in the guide; the rubric decides where to spend more.
| Section | What it must do | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Answer the main question of the prompt directly and state your position. | ~70 words |
| Concept | Define the course concept from the week's reading that the prompt turns on. | ~120 words |
| Application | Apply the concept to the case, setting or question in the prompt. | ~130 words |
| Evidence | Bring in the required sources where they support a specific claim. | ~90 words |
| Close | Restate the answer and what it means for practice or the field. | ~30 words |
A topic angle that works
Chapter 1 covers the opportunities and challenges of small business. Discuss why many small businesses fail in their first years and what a founder can do about it.
Model paragraph with notes
An original paragraph written by our desk to show the register that earns full rubric credit. It is study material: learn the moves, then write your own.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that roughly one in five new businesses fails within the first year and about half within five years. The most common causes are running out of cash and building a product without enough customers. A founder can reduce both risks by testing demand before spending heavily and keeping a cash reserve of several months of expenses, as Megginson and Byrd advise for new ventures.
- A statistic.
- Causes.
- Remedies.
Mistakes that cost points on BUSI 338 Week 1
- Over 400 words.
- No source.
- Replies that only praise.
Checklist before you submit
- Length: Thread 350 to 400 words; replies 150 to 200 words
- Sources: At least 1 source in the thread
- Replies: At least 2 classmates' threads, 150 to 200 words each
- Every question in the prompt is answered, in order
- The thread is typed into the text box, not attached
- Each rubric row read against the section that answers it
Questions students ask
How many forums are in BUSI 338?
Four, in Weeks 1, 3, 5 and 7, each worth 90 points.
How many points is BUSI 338 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1 worth?
90 points in Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 338, out of a course total of 1,010 points (about 9% of the grade). The rubric attached to the assignment in Canvas shows how those points are divided.
Is BUSI 338 Week 1 the same in every section of BUSI 338?
This guide follows Liberty's published course guide for BUSI 338. Liberty notes that course content can change from term to term, so if your Canvas section shows different instructions, a different week or different points, follow Canvas and your instructor.
Want a tutor to look at your draft?
Send the instructions and what you have so far. A Liberty tutor replies with what to fix first, usually within the hour.