By Lacey Okamura
Staff Writer
According to the College’s policy, professors are not allowed to grade attendance. In order to combat this, many professors have class participation incorporated in their grading breakdown. When class participation is part of their grade, students may feel more inclined to attend class.
Requirements for participation may range from making discussion posts, verbally participating a number of times in class or being attentive and actively listening. Simply showing up to class is not enough to guarantee an A in participation. Professors, rightfully so, expect students to be prepared and engaged with course material.
The issue with this participation-grading model lies in the fact not all students have the same comfort level to actively voice their opinions in every class. In some classes, open discussion can often be taken over by the same few students. Unless the professor is actively facilitating the discussion and limiting the number of times a person may speak, some students may have difficulty having their voice heard.
If a student is struggling with the content of the class, this may also hinder their ability to participate. They may still be listening and engaged when others are speaking, but have fear or hesitance to participate themselves.
It is understandable why professors have criteria for participation. Students who spend every class on their devices or sleeping shouldn’t be receiving the same credit as someone who raises their hand and asks questions often. However, showing up to class every week and paying attention should matter, too. These students are still making an effort to attend without being disrespectful or disruptive.
Participation grades are largely determined by professors’ perceptions of their students. While some professors keep track of the number of times students participate, these counts are not always accurate. There may be a singular class when a student doesn’t participate, even if they do every other class and the professor may drop their grade significantly.
A bad participation grade can have a severe impact on students’ overall course grades. In some classes, participation counts for a quarter of the total grade, meaning participation can make or break a student's success.
Requiring participation may also lead to disingenuous conversations. If students are required to speak to receive participation points, they may raise their hand simply for the sake of talking rather than providing thoughtful commentary.
Minimizing participation to count as only 10% or 15% of a total course grade may alleviate some of the stress students feel when it comes to participation. When setting requirements, professors should consider the struggles some students may have, and come up with alternatives for students to earn participation points.
As mentioned earlier, discussion posts could be counted toward participation. By making posts, students can ask questions or provide commentary without having to do so in front of the entire class.
College is tough, and showing up for class is not always easy. Participation grades should be more lenient for students who are, at the very least, trying to make an effort by showing up.
