Grading Class Discussions
An experiment: How can students learn to do a better job of participating in class discussions?
This kind of technique is often used in advanced, graduate, and small courses. It may not be possible to effectively use this approach in a class of our size. But if we can do it, it should help each person in the class improve their communication skills and help everyone learn more over the course of the term. A good faith effort will be appreciated.
From time to time, students in the class wil be asked to evaluate a class discussion. Student comment evaluations will affect the evaluator's participation grade but will not affect other students' course grades.
Maintaining a respectful and open atmosphere
The purpose of this exercise is to encourage students to think about how they contribute in class, not to demean or humiliate anyone. During this exercise, only positive evaluative comments are to be directed to individuals. At no time in sharing about your evaluation of a discussion should you cite a particular comment as an example of what not to do.
One exception: The instructor has a thick skin. If you want to imply that I made a less-then-helpful comment during a discussion, I will not hold it against you, but I might discuss your evaluation with you. :-o
Scoring Comments
Several students may be assigned to observe a class discussion.
Basically, the evaluator is expected to critically evaluate each comment made by a member of the class. Each comment should be assigned a score and a one or more comment codes.
For score, a simple 1-5 scale will be used:
1 - An excellent comment
2 - A good comment
3 - Not a bad comment
4 - A comment which did not help the discussion
5 - A comment which detracted from the discussion
Comment codes:
- Positive Codes:
- Q - raises a good question which asks for clarification, moves the discussion forward, or respectfully challneges a previous comment
- S - Summarizes previous comments in a useful way
- A - Adds new facts or information
- O - Organizes dicussed information in a coherent framework
- C - Clarify a previous point from a different perspective
- X - Provide concrete examples of contextual information stating the relevance of the discussed material
- E - Evaluates the strength of a previously stated position
- Negative Codes:
- R - Repeats a previously made point
- I - Insults or demeans a student or a previous comment, directly or indirectly. Please do not do this in our discussions! While this kind of talk, unfortunately, does occur at business meetings, it does not help. People who engage in this kind of behavior maybe be tolerated in a few business settings but they are not appreciated and the comments decrease group productivity.
- D - Dismisses the discussion, suggesting it is completely unrealistic or unimportant. Silence says this for you. It's better not to say anything.
Even experienced communicators will not always give good comments or always avoid bad ones. However, people who contribute well in group environments help make their teams more effective.
Learning to systematically evaluate other's comments can help us better control what we say ourselves.
This page is maintained by Byron Marshall. Send
E-mail to (byron.marshall@bus.oregonstate.edu)
This page was last modified December 09, 2005
