Participation
Part of today's class was spent discussing the participation portion of the course. I understand it is necessary to have everyone participate in this type of course but I believe the system benefits some people more than others. It was said that only about 10% of the class should receive a 3 on a daily basis. If this is true, then with the class of 40, only 4 people should be able get an A. I do not believe that is necessarily fair. Because of this, it was evident in today's class that everyone was attempting to get their "two cents" in because of the need to receive a good grade. It was almost forceful.
It may also be difficult for some people to express their opinions or comment because of their personality. The LSI test/survey we took was supposed to describe our learning style. As someone stated in class, certain learning styles may make participating in class difficult while something natural for others. It is almost like penalizing those people who do not feel as comfortable speaking in class. Participation is important but I believe it should not be such a huge portion of the overall grade or maybe there should be an alternative that can alleviate the pressure of having to comment just for the purpose of receiving a grade.
Comments
Posted by: Emily Barkas
Posted on: September 28, 2005 03:11 PM
Danny,
I completely agree with you. Once the topic of participation came up and how vital it was, more and more people began to raise their hands with comments. While it's good that more people want to participate, I feel like people are just raising their hands to get the 3. Also, there's only a limited amount of time in the class so not everyone with something to say will get the chance to speak anyway. In regards to the LSI test, I believe that we were in the same group for that and just by talking with you and the others in our group, we all agreed that we aren't big on speaking up in class. We all seemed to learn better from thinking about the material and listening to what is being said. It definitely penalizes us and others like us who may have good ideas, but aren't prone to speaking up. I think that participation grades should either take that into account or not be such a major percentage of our grade.
Posted by: Tina
Posted on: November 7, 2005 07:52 AM
I'm an Assimilator, so I understand someone's reluctance to perhaps jump in and participate in class discussions. What I have found helpful is to use the LSI as a model for how I might try to develop other learning competencies. Fair or not (as you say, "the system benefits some people more than others"), in reality there is a bias in American business toward people who speak up in meetings and make decisions quickly. Cultivating the ability to think on your feet and contribute in the moment is something that will benefit you as you transition into the business world. The classroom is your personal learning laboratory - isn't it a good idea to practice these kinds of skills first in a relatively "safe" setting to prepare yourself for whatever is out there in the world of work? Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: AJ Baucco
Posted on: November 7, 2005 02:18 PM
I have commented on participation before, and I still don't believe people understand whats going on! Most students go overboard trying to make 20 comments a class. But, I believe that the student who makes one or two really good comments every other class will get a fine grade in this course. I am not worried about this, but I will admit I hate rating myself everyday. Because, for one, I forget to do it, and I'm afraid my honesty is being looked at. It's intimidating because I may think I deserved a two, but the teacher may not.