What is it and why should faculty use it?
Some students do not know how to participate, others are afraid to communicate, and a handful of students don’t think they have to in order to succeed. When students have clear guidelines coupled with incentives, they will rise to the occasion and meet expectations.
The Instructional Design team has created a Participation Rubric that you can customize for your courses. Incorporating attendance and participation into the evaluation process is a low stakes method to improve communication and participation. When students see that they are earning or losing points for participation they become motivated to change their behavior.
We understand that this is another task for you to manage. However, the reward of improved engagement and participation is worth the five to ten minutes it will take to enter a weekly participation grade.
Customizable
You can customize the below rubric for daily, weekly, or monthly participation. We recommend weekly evaluation as it provides clear feedback to students and is easier to manage. You can customize the point structure. Keep in mind that for this to work, there must be a substantial incentive. If participation is only worth 1% of the grade, it’s not enough to make a difference for the majority of students. 10% is still relatively low stakes while providing enough incentive for students to put in the effort. Assign a numeric or percentage value that works for your course. You can remove or add specific details that meet the needs of your course.
Summary
If lack of participation and engagement are issues in your classes, a simple solution is to offer students clear guidelines with incentive. Once students see there are rewards for action and consequences for inaction, they are more likely to change their behavior, which will improve the experience for the class. Don’t hesitate to contact the Instructional Design team with questions.
In-Class Participation Rubric
| Category | Excellent | Proficient | Developing | Needs Improvement |
| Attendance | Arrives on time. | Arrives slightly late or leaves briefly. | Arrives more than 10 minutes late or leaves early. | Absent or arrives late and leaves early. |
| Preparation | Comes fully prepared with readings and assignments completed. | Shows basic preparation with some work or reading completed. | Somewhat unprepared; reads or reviews materials during class. | Unprepared; did not complete readings or assignments. |
| Engagement in Activities | Actively participates in all class activities with a positive attitude. | Participates in most activities, showing effort and focus. | Minimal participation in activities, only engaging when required. | Does not participate in activities or appears disengaged. |
| Discussion Contributions | Consistently makes thoughtful, relevant comments or asks insightful questions. | Makes relevant contributions but less frequently. | Offers minimal contributions to discussions, usually when prompted. | Does not contribute to discussions. |