The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Fostering and Assessing Equitable Classroom Participation

Student participation factors into many instructional approaches used by Brown faculty, whether through discussion, presentations, or in- and out-of-class writing and problem-solving.

Approaches that use student interaction are most likely to enhance student learning in a diverse classroom (Gurin, 2000; Milem, 2000). Yet, some students report nervousness or anxiety about speaking in class (Wang, November 2016), and at one time or another, many faculty have experienced a silent classroom.

By the time they are seniors, most (77%) Brown students report that their experience at Brown has helped them with “communicating well orally” (Brown senior survey). However, albeit a minority, some students report few gains in this area, and participation is a key component of the Brown student experience. Below, we compile evidence-based strategies to support participation in your course.

At the beginning of the course

During the term

If you would like to discuss participation dynamics in your own classroom, please contact the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning for a consultation.

This resource was authored by Dr. Mary Wright, Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director of Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, and Professor (Research) in Sociology, with input from Sheridan Center colleagues.

References

Fowler, R. (2015). Talking teams: Increased equity in participation in online compared to face-to-face team discussions. Computers in Education Journal, 6(1), 21-44.

Fox, H. (2004). “When race breaks out”: Conversations about race and racism in college classrooms. New York: Peter Lang.

Gillis, A. (2019). Reconceptualizing participation grading as skill building. Teaching Sociology, 47(1): 10-21.

Gurin, P. (2000). Expert Report in the Matter of Gratz et al. v. Bollinger et al. No. 97-75321(E.D. Mich.) and No. 97-75928 (E.D. Mich.). Available: http://diversity.umich.edu/admissions/legal/expert/gurintoc.html

Howard, J. R. (2015). Discussion in the college classroom: Getting your students engaged and participating in person and online. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kerr, M.M. & Frese, K.M. (2016): Reading to learn or learning to read? Engaging college students in course readings. College Teaching, 1-4.

Lathrop, A.H. (2006, March). Teaching how to question: Participation rubrics. Teaching Professor, 5.

Milem, J.F. (2000). The educational benefits of diversity: Evidence from multiple sectors. In M.J. Chang, D. Witt, J. Jones, & K. Hakuta, Eds. Compelling interest: Examining the evidence on racial dynamics in colleges and universities. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Penny, L, & Murphy, E. (2009). Rubrics for designing and evaluating online synchronous discussions. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(5): 804-820.

Reda, M. M. (2009). Between speaking and silence: A study of quiet students. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Roberts, A., & Friedman, D. (2015). The impact of teacher immediacy on student participation: An objective cross-disciplinary examination. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 25(1): 38-46.

Tanner, K.D. (2013). Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity. CBE – Life Sciences Education, 12: 322-331.

Wang, S. (2016, Nov. 3). Comfort speaking in class varies with gender, ethnicity. The Brown Daily Herald. Available: http://www.browndailyherald.com/2016/11/03/comfort-speaking-class-varies...

Weaver, R. R. & Qi, J. (2005). Classroom organization and participation: College students’ perceptions. Journal of Higher Education, 76(5): 570-601.