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Date:         Fri, 8 Jan 1993 11:09:00 EST
From:         "Rhoda Carroll, Vermont College,
              Montpelier" <RHODA%MUNIN@NORWICH.BITNET>
Subject:      Participation Definition: a handout.

Several folks have requested this handout on participation, so here
'tis for you-all.  Please use or ignore or amend (if you change it
substantively & interestingly, let me know what you've done).



                 WHAT PARTICIPATION REALLY MEANS
                               and
                        HOW IT IS ASSESSED

     Review your "Course Overview" handout to determine what percentage of your
course grade will be based on class participation.  Your contribution to this
course is of vital importance to all of us, and consequently, a large part of
your course grade will based on it.

     Participation may be defined as:
          1. content mastery: Students show the ability to understand facts,
             concepts, theories, issues, and their own critical thinking
             processes;
          2. communication skills: Students ask clear, constructive
             questions and build on others' ideas;
          3. synthesis/integration: Students can make insightful connections
             between course material and material from other courses and
             from the world;
          4. creativity: Students use course material to generate their own
             insights and applications;
          5. valuing: Students identify values in the course materials and
             offer insights and questions that are values-based.
                            -  adapted from Clarke, Edward. "Grading
                              Seminar Performance." College Teaching
                              (Summer 1985): 129-133.

     In a recent survey, students described participation somewhat differently
but with equivalent seriousness and specificity.  They suggested that professors
evaluate students by considering:
          1. cognitive dimensions: logic, knowledge, creativity;
          2. expressive elements: clarity, fluency, conciseness;
          3. affective ingredients: enthusiasm, interest, humor, good will;
          4. contributions to all students' learning potential: valuable
             peer conferencing work, strong collaboration in joint projects,
             constructive criticism, honesty, peer support.
                           -  adapted from Armstrong, Merilyn and David
                              Boud. "Assessing Participation in
                              Discussion: An Exploration of the Issues."
                              Studies in Higher Education (1983): 33-44.

     In this course, evaluation itself is collaborative. You will
systematically evaluate your work, and so will I.  At midsemester and at the end
of the term I will ask you to write a quantitative evaluation (an assessment of
the kinds and numbers of products you have completed) and a  qualitative
assessment (an analysis of the quality of your performance in the course and a
systematic assessment of your participation).

     Use this descriptive analysis to assist you in your effort to determine
the effectiveness of your participation in this course.  I will be guided by
this same descriptive analysis when I evaluate your participation in this
course.

Participation is not:
          1. Talking just to hear yourself talk;
          2. Monopolizing discussion time;
          3. Arguing to distract us from our course objectives.



          - Prof. Rhoda Carroll / English Department / Norwich University


Rhoda Carroll*Vermont College of Norwich University*Rhoda@Norwich.Bitnet
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU