Attending a large,public university has its advantages and disadvantages. Students at the University are able to choose from a wide array of courses and majors and take classes from professors who are experts in their fields. On the other side of the coin are the huge lectures that are required for many classes. Accompanying these larger lectures are smaller discussion sections designed to engage students in a dialogue about the readings, lectures and the topic in general. Many discussion sections put those with quieter personalities at a huge disadvantage. If they are not already, teaching assistants need to be aware of these introverted individuals and take their strengths and weaknesses into consideration when planning discussions. Professors and teaching assistants should find new ways to encourage participation beyond simply regularly volunteering opinions and answers to the entire group. By breaking the section into smaller groups of 4-5 individuals, accepting or requiring written work on readings to show completion, comprehension and thought, and considering all of these factors when creating a discussion grade, teaching assistants can make discussion sections more useful and fair to people with all kinds of personality traits.
One solution to the problem is to break the larger group of 20-25 into smaller groups and assign questions to discuss. This enables those who may not speak up in a larger setting a chance to show their mastery of the material and their ability to articulate their ideas clearly. These smaller groups will encourage reserved students to break out of their shells, perhaps discussing more with the entire group and developing dialogue skills necessary in the real world. TAs should observe the interactions in these small groups and take note of those who speak up in this smaller setting. The ability to speak in front of groups of all sizes is an important skill and one that should be developed. By allowing shy individuals the chance to get comfortable with 4-5 people in their class and more confident in their understanding of the material, they will become more inclined to speak up all the time.
In addition, TAs also should allow and perhaps require students to submit written observations before discussion. This would serve two purposes. It would show the TA what questions or misunderstandings students have and thus direct the section time to more useful pursuits than re-iterating a lecture. More importantly for those who are quieter, it gives them a chance to show the TA that they have done the work, attended lecture and thought about the topics at hand without the pressure of speaking in class. This could be an optional addition so that those who know they are less inclined to speak up in class can e-mail the TA ahead of time and give some thoughtful insights.
Some may see this as additional work for already over-worked TAs. This method may be a sacrifice for some TAs, but e-mails received from students would make grading easier at the end of the semester as they would serve as a clear record of students' willingness to participate even outside of discussion, thus alleviating some of the strain of grading at the end of semester. Also, TAs would not have to spend as much time planning a discussion when they could depend on questions and ideas from students to guide the section. The sacrifice of time made to read emails may actually save time and work later.
Participation grades are given in most classes with a discussion. This is supposed to provide incentive for students to attend the sections, complete assignments and think critically about the material. It is unfair to assume that just because a student does not raise his or her hand in discussion sections that they have not met all these requirements. It is unfair to hurt a student's grade because he or she is reluctant to volunteer frequently. Of course, students have to learn to speak up and state their opinions in all kinds of settings -- that is certainly a part of the educational process. But harming a student's grade as he or she learns these skills over time is not fair. If TAs are aware of the difficulties some students may have in speaking up and seek different ways to check their completion and understanding of the material, the grades given for discussion grades will be more a reflection of a person's work and not their ability, or inability, to speak up in class.
Discussion sections are a vital part of a student's education here at the University. They give the student an opportunity to expand on the basic knowledge taught in class and receive insight from fellow classmates and teaching assistants. However, when large percentages of grades rest on participating in these sections, it can be more of a stressful than learning experience. Teaching assistants and professors should be understanding of certain student's personality traits that make them less likely to volunteer thoughts and insights. They should create more opportunities for students to show their understanding and completion beyond speaking up in front of 20 or more peers -- an intimidating thought for many. In turn, students should recognize these innovations and use them to break out of their shells and become more comfortable discussing issues with their peers: at first with their TA through e-mails, then in the smaller group settings, and finally to the section as a whole. If both groups can succeed in accomplishing these tasks, everyone will end up getting more out of discussion sections.
(Kate Durbin's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kdurbin@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | YesterdayThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | 6 days agoEvery student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
