We want our students to participate in the classes that we teach. Sometimes we have a category on our syllabi called “participation” where we assign a grade; often, we encourage students to speak up–in discussion, in office hours, and in their assignments. However, sometimes, we run into challenges when thinking about “participation”: what is a fair way to grade students on their participation? how do we encourage students to think about the quality of their participation, not just the quantity? how do we make space for students who may have some difficulty in participating in class? how might we impact the participation in our classrooms?
It is in the spirit of thinking about participation broadly that I offer the following articles that highlight ways to consider critically participation, to assess participation, and to help students recognize the differences between quantity and quality.
Responding to Students Who Dominate Discussion (potentially helpful here–a link to a participation rubric)
Daydreaming or Deep in Thought? Using Formative Assessment to Evaluate Student Participation
ISO: A Better Way to Evaluate Student Participation
Thinking about Introverted Students (thanks to Alex Barron for the suggestion)