I often hear faculty say that they wish they could get more of their students to participate during class. I rarely hear this complaint at the beginning of the semester, but the beginning of the semester is the best time to address low student participation. It is far easier to teach students to participate now and then keep them participating later than it is to try to get students to start participating later in the semester. Click the question below to view the relevant 20 Minute Mentor video, access the supplemental materials, and/or read the transcript.
How Do I Get More Students to Participate in Class?
Although getting more students to participate is challenging, the good news is that it can be done, and it doesn’t have to involve such tactics as “cold calling” on students or resorting to a points system. In this program, Maryellen Weimer describes 18 strategies that work. You will learn how to better encourage students who rarely participate to speak more often; provide other participation opportunities, such as brief written exercises or small group discussion, to help generate contributions; move beyond seeing reluctant participators as a problem; limit the participation of students who speak too often; and find something positive to say about a first-time contribution.