Friday, February 3, 2017

The problem(s) of participation in classroom discussions, and how to overcome them



I read a very nice book over the holiday break by Jay Howard, Discussion in the College Classroom. Howard is a professor of sociology (and Dean) at Butler University, and he’s
published a bunch of scholarship of teaching and learning on classroom discussion. So this book is based on solid research and nicely referenced. 

Howard describes two psychological phenomena that students experience when in classes where discussion is encouraged (or even required). One is called civic attention. Students quickly figure out that they do not really need to pay close attention to the lecture or class discussion, they only need to act as if they are paying attention. This means that they shouldn’t be looking at their phones (at least not too often), they should make occasional eye contact with the professor (but not too much), and perhaps even nod in agreement (at the right time). Other than that, they can be thinking of whatever comes into their minds. This norm of civic attention is established early in each class when students realize there will be no adverse consequences to this minimal level of engagement. Howard points out that, like every norm, once this norm is established it is very difficult to change. 

The other phenomenon is called consolidation of responsibility. In every class there are a small number of students that will actively participate in discussion no matter the topic, and no matter the relevance or insight of their contributions. These talkers not only take up the time and space that other students could use to contribute, but they also serve as a sort of safety valve: when the instructor asks for participation the other students can relax in the knowledge that the talkers will eventually speak up. Thus the responsibility for participation is consolidated in the few talkers. Howard’s research has found that while the non-talkers are grateful to be freed from this responsibility, they can also become annoyed by the talkers talking too much, especially if the talkers are not always on-topic or veer into personal revelation too often. Thus it is potentially damaging to classroom culture to allow this consolidation of responsibly to solidify, and like civic attention this dynamic is very resistant to remedy once established.

Fortunately Howard provides many solutions to these problems in the book. As you likely anticipate, many of these are designed to head these dynamics off before they start. He emphasizes the importance of the first day of class: if you expect student participation in class you better ask for it the very first time you meet. He also suggests that you have a discussion about discussion where you lay out your reasons for asking for participation (or better yet, ask them to come up with those reasons) and your expectations for participation. You could also ask them about their best and worst experiences with class discussion. They will have stories. 

Howard also reports on research about why students do not participate in discussion. He reports that confidence and preparation are important factors. For me this meant requiring students to write up analyses of the reading before coming to class. Howard also suggests that when asking tough questions you give students time to formulate their answers, perhaps with a one-minute paper or think-pair-share activity, before coming back to a class-wide discussion. That way students who are not as quick on their feet are not disadvantaged. 

I recommend the book. It was clearly written with a nice mix of scholarship and practical suggestions.