Promoting Effective Classroom Participation

Definitions & Principles

Be explicit about what you mean by “participation” — is it discussion? Short exchanges? Small-group talk? Whole-class?
Clarify what you are assessing: quality vs quantity of contributions; whether preparation matters; whether risk‐taking (making mistakes) is valued; whether exposing students to others’ ideas is part of participation.
Involve students in defining what “good participation” is. Co-create or seek consensus on criteria or a rubric so students understand expectations.

Cultivate a classroom ethos of participation
- Frame participation as a collective responsibility.
- Encourage students to respond to each other’s contributions (not just to the teacher).
- Positively reinforce contributions.
Teach participation skills
- Discuss with students characteristics of effective participation.
- Help students who may lack prior experience (e.g. how to ask questions, how to build on others’ ideas).
Design activities that naturally elicit participation
- Use discussion-based tasks: case studies, role-plays, jigsaw activities.
- Use technology tools: clickers or instantaneous polling; perhaps live or online polls before class to set up discussion.
- Use microblogging or asynchronous contributions (typing in some online forum or feed) to allow different modes of participation.
Teacher’s physical and social positioning
- Move around the classroom; avoid always staying at front (makes you less of a gatekeeper). Ensure audibility: make sure student comments are heard by all; encourage clear speaking.
Student goal-setting & self-reflection
- At start of term, have students set concrete, realistic goals for their participation.
- Mid-term or through term, have them reflect: “What is going well? What could improve? How have I met my goals?”

Use a rubric: define criteria in advance; include components both students and teacher agree on.
Keep written records: attendance, who spoke, when, what type of contribution. Use name tents, seating charts, etc.
Simple marking system: e.g. check marks for good contributions, extra marks for outstanding ones.
Self-assessment: students evaluate their own participation, supported by the rubric; then the teacher gives feedback.
Peer evaluation: in small groups or in class, peers assess one another’s contributions, again via rubric.

Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/promoting-effective-classroom-participation