Class Discussion and Participation Grading
The goal of class discussions is effective learning for everyone. It is the opportunity to explore ideas from the different perspectives that the members of the group bring to the table. Discussions succeed only when the members of the group come prepared and actively participate in the process. A class discussion is not an experience in which a student can "show off what they know" but is an opportunity to explore an important topic in Biology. The success of a class discussion is the responsibility of all participants.
Effective participation in a discussion is the result of preparation, quality contributions, and active listening to others. All class discussions are on particular topics and assigned readings. Reading assignments critically before a discussion is a must. Critical reading means not only that you have read the text assigned but that you have evaluated and drawn conclusions about the value of the work. Critical reading means that you have related the text to other material and ideas to formulate a synthesis (comprehensive view) of the work. A quality contribution is one that sheds lights on the question being explored. Quality contributions are well supported by evidence and critical analysis. A discussion is not fruitful (members gain new insight and learn) unless active listening is happening. A discussion moves forward as group members respond to new ideas brought forth by others. A good discussion is focused and not just a collection of random comments. It is a group effort to analyze, evaluate and to find answers to questions that a text posses.
Vijay Govindarajan of Dartmouth College lists several characteristics of effective class participation:
Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion in terms of increasing everyone's understanding or are they merely regurgitation of case facts?
Do the comments take into consideration the ideas offered by others earlier in the class, or are the points isolated and disjointed? The best contributions following the lead off tend to be those which reflect not only excellent preparation, but good listening, and interpretative and integrative skills as well.
Do the comments show evidence of a thorough reading and analysis of the case?
Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data; opinions, assumptions and inferences?
Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments cautious/"safe"?
Is the participant willing to interact with other class members by asking questions or challenging conclusions?
From a handout by Vijay Govindarajan, Dartmouth College
There is a saying that "you get what you evaluate" (give a grade to). Discussions are an integral part of this course so they are evaluated and contribute to your final grade in this course. It is also true that most professors feel that evaluating and grading a student for participation is the most difficult student performance characteristic to do. I am taking a two pronged approach to evaluation class participation. One prong will be student evaluations. At the end of each discussion class, students will fill out a participation evaluation form based on a form developed by John Melnyk of the University of Winnipeg. In it you will be asked to describe your contribution to the discussion. You will also be asked to list and briefly describe comments made by three other classmates that enhanced the discussion and your understanding. The second prong will be my evaluation. I will use a rubric based on one developed by Martha L. Maznevski from the University of Virginia.