Michael Smerconish ’14: Including “class-participation” in a student’s grade is unnecessary and largely arbitrary. A student’s grade is meant to be a byproduct of his/her effort and demonstrated understanding of a particular subject. By grading class participation, teachers risk misinterpreting a student’s actual effort towards a class and add an unreasonably subjective layer of grading to the course.
Class participation is first and foremost extremely inconsistent. Though the idea of rewarding shared thoughts and insights may on the surface seem to promote a “demonstrated understanding,” in practice it immediately loses this appeal. In the absence of an all-seeing class camera that is programmed to tally every input and question from the individual students, the process of grading participation falls to rather inconsistent means.
A teacher must, often long after the fact, think back on his/her several classes and attempt to put a letter grade to each and every student’s level of participation. Assigning partcipation grades after the fact also means that the teacher is somehow expected to have the memory capacity to sort through the student’s class-contributions from multiple classes. The accuracy of the grade, therefore, is dependent upon a teacher’s supposed recollection of every contribution that was made over a particular time period, say two weeks, in a particular class by a particular student.
There are classes at Episcopal, however, that use a more concrete process of evaluating class participation. The teacher leaves a book open on the desk that has a visible line of tallies next to each student’s name. Whenever a student provides a sound answer or asks an insightful question, the teacher places pen to paper in an ever-so rewarding fashion. What becomes of the class environment, though, is disastrous.
Photo coutesy of Julia Thompson’16
“Participating” becomes a chore, and a necessary one given the impact that it can have on your grade. The classroom becomes the arena for a check-mark feeding frenzy that has students answering questions not out of curiosity for the answer, but to ensure that the teacher knows that they are “engaged.”
Even outside of such an extreme example, class participation still muddles this reasoning behind why a student should participate. A classroom experience is naturally going to cause students to be involved. By adding an unnecessary incentive to class participation, teachers are complicating the process and making shared insights beneficial for the wrong reasons. Charles Bryant, Chair of the History Department and one who chooses not to grade class participation, explained his policy by saying, “Virtue is its own reward. In this case, if you are participating in class…then presumably you are sharpening yourself for future assessments.”
Bryant continued his reasoning, sharing that “One of the things I’m always worried about is…there is a tendency in our society to overvalue extroverts. Class participation, unless you figure out a way to deal with that, can inadvertently discriminate against those who don’t put themselves out there.”
Indeed, perhaps the strongest contention I have is that it lowers the grades of students who can still be giving 100% effort and concentration into the class. I fail to see the reasoning behind why a student who takes great class notes, performs well on assessments, and sets aside time to study, should have a grade lowered because he/she is not as extroverted as others.
Bryant explained that in place of class participation, “I prefer to focus on class preparation, through quizzes and so on.” Emphasizing “preparation” as opposed to participation would solve many of the issues facing class participation. It would erase the preference given to extroversion, remove the inconsistencies and arbitrary evaluation process, and return the purpose of question asking to being one of the student’s benefit, not that of the student’s grade.
Even outside of such an extreme example, class participation still muddles this reasoning behind why a student should participate. A classroom experience is naturally going to cause students to be involved. By adding an unnecessary incentive to class participation, teachers are complicating the process and making shared insights beneficial for the wrong reasons. Charles Bryant, Head of the History Department and one who chooses not to grade class participation, explained his policy by saying, “Virtue is its own reward. In this case, if you are participating in class…then presumably you are sharpening yourself for future assessments.”
Bryant continued his reasoning, sharing that “One of the things I’m always worried about is…there is a tendency in our society to overvalue extroverts. Class participation, unless you figure out a way to deal with that, can inadvertently discriminate against those who don’t put themselves out there.”
Indeed, perhaps the strongest contention I have is that it lowers the grades of students who can still be giving 100% effort and concentration into the class. I fail to see the reasoning behind why a student who takes great class notes, performs well on assessments, and sets aside time to study, should have a grade lowered because he/she is not as extroverted as others.
Bryant explained that in place of class participation, “I prefer to focus on class preparation, through quizzes and so on.” Emphasizing “preparation” as opposed to participation would solve many of the issues facing class participation. It would erase the preference given to extroversion, remove the inconsistencies and arbitrary evaluation process, and return the purpose of question asking to being one of the student’s benefit, not that of the student’s grade.
Indeed, perhaps the strongest contention I have is that it lowers the grades of students who can still be giving 100% effort and concentration into the class. I fail to see the reasoning behind why a student who takes great class notes, performs well on assessments, and sets aside time to study, should have a grade lowered because he/she is not as extroverted as others.
Bryant explained that in place of class participation, “I prefer to focus on class preparation, through quizzes and so on.” Emphasizing “preparation” as opposed to participation would solve many of the issues facing class participation. It would erase the preference given to extroversion, remove the inconsistencies and arbitrary evaluation process, and return the purpose of question asking to being one of the student’s benefit, not that of the student’s grade.
ehind why a student who takes great class notes, performs well on assessments, and sets aside time to study, should have a grade lowered because he/she is not as extroverted as others.
Bryant explained that in place of class participation, “I prefer to focus on class preparation, through quizzes and so on.” Emphasizing “preparation” as opposed to participation would solve many of the issues facing class participation. It would erase the preference given to extroversion, remove the inconsistencies and arbitrary evaluation process, and return the purpose of question asking to being one of the student’s benefit, not that of the student’s grade.