Participation and Discussion

Strategies That Increase the Number of Students Who Participate in Class

By Maryellen Weimer
December 1, 2016

Increase your wait time.
Talk about how you think discussion is better when many students participate.
Get students to discuss what makes participation a valuable learning experience for them.
Don’t let some students participate too often.
Listen carefully when students speak and thank them for their contributions.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Tags: class discussions, encouraging student participation

What I Love about Learning

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...

By Maryellen Weimer
| May 16, 2022

Cultivating Moral Imagination in Uncertain Times

Recently, a student sent me a political news article with the comment “Things are falling apart.” I didn’t...

By Mays Imad
| March 31, 2025

The Power of Multimodal Engagement to Encourage Expression

You’ve prepared a fabulous, interactive class. You’ve designed engaging activities, developed meaningful discussion questions, and cultivated an inviting...