Encourage participation

Owned by Katrina Casey Kosyk, Miss
Last updated: Aug 26, 2024 by Rachel Hall
3 min read

The scope of this article is limited to addressing participation during class time. That said, participation activities can be expanded beyond class time, taking place in myCourses discussion forums and low/no-stakes quizzes for example. See Bean and Peterson,[1] Paff,[2] and Poole,[3] for more information on participation outside class time.

Students’ levels of participation are influenced by a variety of individual and environmental factors, such as self-confidence, ability to engage “on the spot,” and an understanding of expectations. Students experiencing barriers in these areas may be prevented from participating. Lack of clarity around your expectations for participation, in particular, can cause students anxiety as they often interpret “participation” differently from their instructors and thus may not do what is expected[4]. Not only can the interpretation of participation vary between instructors and students, the same instructor may have different expectations depending on the context (e.g., a graduate seminar vs. a large lecture-based undergraduate course). While some of the factors influencing students’ levels of participation are outside your control, strategies for encouraging student participation exist. The following strategies are drawn from Auster and MacRone,[5] Bean and Peterson,[1] Fassinger,[6] Green,[7] Mello,[8] and Paff,[2]:

  • Create an environment that invites participation. Try to address students by name—use the class list, student photos from Minerva, or tented name cards on desks. Treat students’ contributions in respectful and encouraging ways, and design your course with principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in mind. Consult resources:

  • Clarify expectations. Articulate your expectations of students in the course outline and/or myCourses. Discuss with students what you expect of them and how their participation will help them achieve the course learning outcomes.

  • Include activities that require students to prepare to participate. Help students understand how to prepare for your class with activities that prime them for engagement. Preparation may reduce participation anxiety and thus increase participation. Consider example activities: “admission tickets”; “3-2-1 purposeful reading.” Consult more class preparedness activities.

  • Increase the wait time after you pose a question. Let students know that you will wait at least a full minute before calling on anyone so that they have a chance to prepare a response. You might also ask students to write down their thoughts during that time.

  • Use inclusive strategies for encouraging (quiet) students to participate. In addition to activities that involve speaking in class, provide students with participation opportunities that are non-oral, such as polling and one minute papers.

  • Foster peer interaction. Opportunities for students to engage with each other in learning can promote a feeling of community, improve student confidence, and increase overall participation. Example activities are think-pair-share, focused listing, or buzz groups (see Discussion Generation for a description of these strategies and more).

 

If you are using in-class discussions to get students to participate:

  • Share your goal for the discussion. Let students know before the discussion what the goal is (e.g., unearthing a variety of perspectives, identifying root causes, finding a solution) so that students understand what they are working toward.

  • Assign roles as a form of participation. Consider allowing students to take on roles such as facilitator, note-taker, and summarizer during discussions.

  • Structure discussions that invite participation. Pose questions where students are likely to have opinions. Have students explore unfamiliar points of view or “what if” situations. Give students time to prepare arguments supported by evidence. Have students present and defend their point of view (e.g., in-class debate, critical debate).

  • Teach students how to participate in discussions. Explore with students different ways in which they can contribute to a discussion, such as providing relevant examples; introducing a new point; posing a question; making links to course readings. See Guide to Discussion Skills for Students for more ideas.

  • Foster individual reflection. After the discussion, have students submit an exit card or one minute paper.

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References

[1] 1 2 Bean, J. C., & Peterson, D. (1998). Grading classroom participation. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 74, 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.7403

[2] 1 2 Paff, L. A. (2015). Does grading encourage participation? Evidence & implications. College Teaching, 63(4), 135-145. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2015.1028021

[3] Poole, D. M. (2000). Student participation in a discussion-oriented online course: A case study. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33(2), 162-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/08886504.2000.10782307

[4] Fritschner, L. M. (2000). Inside the undergraduate college classroom: Faculty and students differ on the meaning of student participation. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(3), 343-362. https://doi.org/10.2307/2649294

[5] Auster, C. J., & MacRone, M. (1994). The classroom as a negotiated social setting: An empirical study of the effects of faculty members’ behavior on students’ participation. Teaching Sociology, 22(4), 289-300. https://doi.org/10.2307/1318921

[6] Fassinger, P. (1996). Professors’ and students’ perceptions of why students participate in class. Teaching Sociology, 24(1), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.2307/1318895

[7] Green, D. (2008). Class participation in a teacher training college: What is it and what factors influence it. English Language Teacher Education and Development, 11, 15-26. http://www.elted.net/uploads/7/3/1/6/7316005/v11_3green.pdf

[8] Mello, J. A. (2010). The good, the bad and the controversial: The practicalities and pitfalls of the grading of class participation. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 14(1), 77-97. https://www.proquest.com/docview/521249405/fulltextPDF/AA5E4689E09848FDPQ/7?accountid=12339