Class Participation

[Rip Verkerke <ripv@virginia.edu>]

A student sent the following message (using the feedback form):

Your explanation of your class participation scheme was timely, but
incomplete.  Although you perhaps satisfactorily answered the question of
why you reward students for speaking up, you did not answer the question of
why you penalize students who prefer to listen.  All the "public policy"
interests that you advocate are served fully by having a positive incentive,
while a negative incentive does nothing but make people uncomfortable.  If
someone writes an A exam in your class, it seems very strange to [message
was truncated here]

In addition, your parable of the fish and loaves was extremely patronizing,
especially when you suggested that the "fish" would eat the "loaves."

Thank you for your time.


Here is my response:

I sincerely appreciate the suggestion that I should focus on positive
reinforcement, and I am happy to embrace it.  I have no problem with
considering class participation as a plus factor to be applied after grading
the final exams.  As a practical matter, that is how I have always
administered the system.  And I have never lowered a grade for simple lack
of participation.

For what it is worth, I was mostly trying to be honest about the
consequences of not participating.  Enforcing the B+ mean while awarding
extra credit for good participation necessarily means that those who don't
participate at all lose relative to those who do participate.  In my nine
years of teaching experience, however, the student who writes a solid A exam
never receives an A- for failing to participate.  So I will take your
suggestion to rephrase my policy in more positive terms.

Concerning the parable of the loaves and the fishes, I guess I can only
plead that you lighten up a little.  I'm obviously not a great one at
delivering a joke (witness my floundering efforts with "drink plenty of
fluids").  But I would have hoped that everyone recognized my tongue planted
firmly in my cheek while recounting the "parable."   Particularly the bit
about the fish gobbling up the loaves was at least 90% for laughs.

The point of the whole story was really just to make a pitch for more active
engagement in classes.  I really have nothing at all against people who
would rather listen politely.  It's just that I firmly believe students are
better off (i.e., get more for their educational dollar) if they at least
consider occasional class participation a serious possibility.

Again, I would welcome any further thoughts students may have about these
issues.  I am deeply concerned about the classroom environment here at
Virginia.  Far from being a parochial or trivial concern, the question goes
to the heart of the educational mission of the law school.  I genuinely
appreciate your observations and thoughtful attention to the matter.

Warm regards,

Rip

J. H. Verkerke
Professor of Law and Director,
Program for Employment and Labor Law Studies
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903-1789
Voice: 804/924-3463   Fax: 804/924-7536
Web: http://pells.org/rip/