It can be challenging at times to motivate university students to participate in class, particularly in a lecture hall of several hundred students. As an instructor, I have stood at the front of a room of learners whose body language and facial expressions ranged from "I dare you to teach me something that isn't profoundly boring" to the frantic, "Is this going to be on the test?!".
Given that grades are a popular motivator for university students, it has become common practice for university instructors to include student participation as an assessment method in their courses (Petress, 2006; Rogers, 2013). But how does an instructor assign (or a student receive) a grade for participation if the student is absent? As response to this concern, some instructors assign participation marks for class attendance. Is this best practice? Is it an appropriate response to a challenging situation?
Instructors commonly grade student participation in the university classroom because they aim to cultivate critical thinking, logic and reasoning, respect, or professionalism in their students. Participation behaviours that instructors commonly want to see in their students include sharing insightful and thoughtful comments in discussions, asking questions, supporting each other's learning in civil exchanges, listening attentively, and staying on task. Whether a student is learning knowledge, a skill, or an attribute in a course "university students who actively participate learn more than students who do not" (Weaver & Qi, 205, p.570). Yet, the question remains: does attendance warrant participation marks?
The University of Alberta Regulations and Information for Students, Section 23.4 states that each assessment (participation marks toward a course grade is a form of assessment) is linked to the learning outcomes for the course and that, "[S]tudents should be provided with the criteria for these assessments early in and, if necessary, throughout the course". These statements have important implications for teaching and learning:
- Instructors must set criteria by which they assess students' participation in a course.
- Participation should be defined and tracked through a participation rubric, student participation log, group work contract, or peer participation evaluation, for example.
- Meeting the learning objectives or outcomes for the course ask more of a student than simply attending class and passively watching the instructor. Learning objectives or outcomes related to participation are commonly along the lines of, the student will engage in critical discussions and provide appropriate feedback to classmates; effectively negotiate and delegate group work; explain or justify their reasoning; or other affective objectives or competencies of the academic discipline or professional program. As such, being "present" in class is insufficient in meeting learning objectives or outcomes.
Further, the U of A policy on attendance in the Academic Regulations provides the guidelines that students are expected to attend, and if they do not, they "assume whatever risks are involved". Ultimately, students risk low participation grades if they fail to attend classes.
What's my professional opinion as a post-secondary educator of nearly 20 years? Giving students participation marks for just showing up to class rewards a minimum standard. I want students in my classes who want to be there and who want to learn. Participation marks can provide concrete guidelines for how to successfully learn in my course and acquire the kinds of knowledge, skills, and attributes that my course aims to impart. Students have frequently told me they appreciate when materials are related to current events or debates with a professional field or discipline. After graduation, one does not get paid to just show up for work. If that's the case, the individual won't hold that professional role for very long. Let's prepare our students for that reality.
References
Petress, K. (2006). An operational definition of class participation. College Student Journal, 40(4), 821-23.
Rogers, S. (2013). Calling the question: Do college instructors actually grade participation? College Teaching, 61, 11-22.
Weaver, R., & Qi, J. (2005). Classroom organization and participation: College students' perceptions. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(5), 570-601.
For information on student participation logs, check out:
Docan-Morgan, T. (2015). The Participation Log: Assessing students' classroom participation. Assessment Update, 27(2), 6-7.
For a sample participation rubric, go to:
Eberly Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2016). Rubric for assessing student participation. Retrieved from Carnegie Mellon University, www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment
Cosette Taylor, MEd., PhD - Educational Developer, Centre for Teaching and Learning
Cosette Taylor is an Educational Developer for the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of Alberta where her role is to help university instructors learn how to be better teachers. Cosette is available to assist instructors with course planning, teaching strategies, assessment, and blended or online delivery. This native of Winnipeg has 14 years of teaching experience in a 19 year career in adult education.