Students' participation in classroom activities

Overview

You can improve student participation in your course by devoting time and thought to shaping the environment and planning each class session.

What is active participation in the classroom

The way in which you interact, both verbally and non-verbally, communicates to students your attitude about participation. The goal of increasing participation is to create an environment in which all students have an opportunity to fully take part in the course and improve their learning.

Shaping the Environment

Start With the Classroom

Reserve a classroom that will accommodate the kind of participation you have in mind.

Starting on the first day of class, arrange the room in a way that encourages active engagement. When it is time to reserve a classroom, keep in mind not only the number of student chairs you will need, but also whether these chairs should be moveable.

If you lead frequent discussions, consider moving the chairs into a circle or “U” to ensure that students can see, and speak to, one another. If you are teaching in a large lecture hall, consider asking students to move so that they are concentrated near the fron

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