The "Why" of Class Participation: A Question Worth Asking

Engaging the Millennial Generation in Class Discussions

“…Faculty generally value and encourage classroom discussions because they increase student accountability, engage students in active learning, and stimulate thinking (Gray and Madson 2007;Jones 2008;McKeachie 1990). Research on the Millennial Generation (students born between the 80s and mid-2000s) suggests that they have different expectations and classroom needs than previous generations of college students (Howe and Strauss 2003).…”

Structured and unstructured discussion forums as tools for student engagement

“…Rather than passively sitting in class listening to an instructor, a http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.037 0747-5632/Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. discussion forum requires students to actively participate in the class, which is a form of engagement (Jones, 2008;Rocca, 2010). Discussion forum participants must actively choose what conversation they will respond to, how they will respond, and when they will do so (Carter, 2011;Palloff & Pratt, 2007;Vai & Sosulski, 2011).…”

Using Student-Led Seminars and Conceptual Workshops to Increase Student Participation

“…Classroom discussions such as student-led seminars allow students to deepen their understanding of material with which they have already encountered (Abowitz 1990;Jones 2008). Together, students explore the implications of what they have read or experienced while looking for application in their own lives and learning to view the material through multiple perspectives.…”