Participation continues to be one of the most common methods faculty use to get students involved in their learning. It’s a go-to strategy for many, but various studies have shown that it’s not always used in ways that realize its full potential. We go to the well so often, we fall into patterns and do not observe or analyze what we are doing and why.
Meanwhile, getting students to talk in class, much less provide meaningful contributions, is like pulling teeth. Whether they’re shy, unprepared, or simply reluctant to share their ideas, getting students to talk in class is a constant struggle.
The point here is not to find out who’s to blame for the lack of discussion, but rather to encourage teachers to take inventory of what’s occurring in the classroom. Is there something else that might be done to encourage students to get involved?
Ideas and Strategies to Encourage Participation
Have you given students something to talk about? Something to read? Questions to consider as they read? A reaction paper that captures their thoughts and gives them something concrete to contribute?
Discussion Prompt: “When you do the reading, I’d like you to note a passage that you disagree with. We’ll use those passages to start our discussion of the reading.” Alternatively, the selected passage might be something that relates to a personal experience or something we’ve talked about in class, or something you don’t understand, never thought about before, or would have a question about. This option works best when the prompt is singular and specific.
Have you talked about the role of participation in this course? Why do you want it? What it contributes to learning? How do you feel about wrong answers and mistakes?
Discussion Prompt: “I encourage participation in this course for five reasons: 1) it gives me feedback so that I know how you’re thinking about and understanding the content; 2) it gives you practice speaking like a biologist, political scientist, engineer, philosopher (whatever the field); 3) it gives your classmates the chance to learn from someone besides me; 4) it helps you develop an important communication skill; and 5) it gives us a chance to get to know each other. I don’t expect you to perfect–you’ll make mistakes and so will I. That’s how we learn.”
When are you soliciting student input? Only at the end of period? Only at the end of content chunks? Only when you have time?
Advice: Actions speak louder than words. If you say you want students to participate but then relegate discussion to the last three minutes of class or you only ask at the end of a content chunk when you’ve got lots more to cover and secretly hope there are no questions, those behaviors contradict what you’ve said. If you truly want participation, stop regularly and ask for it throughout the class session.
How often are you stopping for interaction? Once? Twice? When you do ask for comments or questions, how long are you waiting for responses? Are you giving students enough time to think?
Fact: Multiple studies of “wait time” put the length of time between the question and some follow-up behavior (a rephrase, calling on a student, answering the question) at 2 to 3 seconds. Most faculty incorrectly report that they are waiting much longer.
Option: Ask a question and then give students 15-30 seconds to quickly jot down some ideas. Have them share those ideas with someone seated nearby and then solicit answers.
How do you handle answers that are wrong or not very good? Do you laud the effort? Do you show how mistakes can be opportunities for learning? Do you invite the class to help make an answer better?
What you could say: “Well, that’s not right, but I appreciate your effort.” “No, but thanks for making that mistake. It’s one a lot of students make. Let’s work on why it’s wrong and you’ll get credit for helping everyone else in the class get it right.”
“I think we can make that answer better. What would you add to it? What might make it clearer? Is there something confusing that doesn’t need to be there?”
How do you acknowledge good answers—those that are thoughtful, offer new insights, and show signs of being prepared for class?
What you could say: “Thank you. That’s a good answer because it draws on some of those historical connections made in the book.”
“Thanks. That’s a really interesting answer. I have never thought about it in quite that way.”
What are you doing while a student is answering? Do you listen intently from start to finish or just long enough to determine it’s not a great answer, and then spend the rest of time thinking about how you’ll go about fixing what is being said?
Advice: Focus on listening. Move a bit in the direction of the student. Establish and maintain eye contact. Nod. Occasionally say yes or “I understand.” When the student has finished respond with this first: “Let me see if I understand your comment. I think you are saying. . . .Is that right?”
Has the class had any role in determining the rules that govern participation in the class?
Options: 1) Let the class vote on whether they want to be called on or they want to volunteer. 2) Let the class suggestion how many contributions in one session constitute over-participation. 3) Let individual students decide whether or not they want to have their participation graded, or the amount it will count, within a given range, say 5 to 15%.
What are you doing that encourages students to listen and learn from each other? Do you incorporate student responses in the material you present subsequently?
What you could say: Start by looking directly at the class. “Did you hear what Shawna just said? She just gave us an excellent example. You might to put it in your notes.”
“Remember when we were talked about X? Peter asked a really good question. Who remembers what he asked?”
“I had a student in the course last semester and he explained the results this way. . .I think that’s an excellent explanation.”
How do you handle the over-participation problem—those two or three students who are already to answer?
Fact: Participation norms get set early in a course. Repeatedly recognizing the same students confirms over-participation behaviors and absolves the rest of the class from having to answer.
Option: Use the three-hand rule. Don’t recognize anyone until there are three hands up in the air.
Do you call on students or let them volunteer? Which do students prefer? Does it matter what they prefer?
Option: Schedule a class session where you do the opposite of what you typically do (call on students or don’t) and see how that affects classroom interaction.
Do you grade participation? How? Why? If you do grade participation, have you ever tried not grading it to see what effect it might have on classroom interaction (and vice versa for non-graders)?
Option: Engage students in a discussion of what behaviors should count positively in the participation grade. Be sure the focus is on behaviors (asking questions, answering questions, making comments, sharing relevant experiences, etc.). What behaviors should they avoid speaking disrespectfully, denigrating an answer, etc.)? What things could the teacher do that would encourage participation?
How does your grading policy define participation? Does it require verbal commentary? Does listening count as participation? Should it?
Example of a policy that requires verbal commentary: “Participation is required in this course. I call on students to keep everyone attentive and to see who’s done the reading. Being able to speak up in a group is an important skill. Besides we can all learn from each other. Participation is worth 5% of your grade and it will be assessed at the end of the course.”
If you grade participation, do you give students feedback on their contributions at a point in the course when there is still time to improve?
Option: List the criteria being used to assess participation in the syllabus and then rate each student at mid-point of the course.
Do you have class discussions about class discussions? Do you share with the class what you think is working and not working? Do you ask students what they think?
Option: Put students in groups and give them 10 minutes to discuss how well participation is occurring in the course. Ask that they identify specific examples of what they think is working and not working, which each group reports out. Follow that with your assessment of what’s going well and what could be improved. Finally, conclude the exercise by identifying two or three things you and the students can do to improve participation.
