All Hands on Deck:
Maximizing Student Participation
Beth Kramer, PhD
Rhetoric Dept., CGS
Challenges to Discussion Seminars
• Course model typically relies on student
response to Professor—students may address
the instructor without acknowledging
classmates’ ideas
• Often a small number of students carry the
weight of discussion (sometimes one student
can dominate class time)
• Quiet students can fall into silent patterns in
small classes, which are difficult to break
Collective Class/Assignment Model
• Goal: To get all students engaged and
participating in class
• Use a Problem solving approach in addition to
open discussion
• Require input from all students—exercises
offer opportunities to respond to others
Example #1—Style/Form Exercise
Part I
• Students choose 1 portrait from a collection
• Students are asked to silently write about the
visual architecture of the portrait
• Students share their findings with the group
• Reveal that all portraits are self portraits
(Rembrandt)—ask students what we can then
say about artist’s style from collective
responses
Rembrandt Self Portraits1
1. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en, http://www.metmuseum.org/en, http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
Show a work by the artist—what evidence do we
see of his form/style (can break into groups)
Rembrandt van Rijn – The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp(1632)1
1.
http://www.mauritshuis.nl/index.aspxchapterid=2342&contentID=18308&ViewPage=29&SchilderijSsOtName=titel&SchilderijSs
Ov=%25%25
Example #1—Goals/Applications
• Students must listen to classmate’s ideas and
build upon them to reach important claims
• Writing/Literature Courses—follow up with
multiple excerpts by the same writer. What
evidence do we see of their style across works?
• Music/Film Courses: Follow up with multiple
excerpts by the same artist/composer. What
connects the works together? How does style
differ from other artists?
Example #2: Metaphor/Tone Exercise
Part I:
• Hand out song lyrics to students (choose song
whose tempo is at odds with lyrics)
• Ask students what themes (abstract concepts)
are represented in the song. Make a chart with
these themes
• Then, students individually place tangible
images/words from song in each column that
relate to that theme
• Students contribute one response publicly to
class—Professor creates master chart and
moderates
Sample Song: “Crooked Teeth” (2006)by
Death Cab For Cutie
It was one hundred degrees
As we sat beneath a willow tree
Whose tears didn't care
They just hung in the air
And refused to fall, to fall
And I knew I'd made a horrible call
And now the state line felt
Like the Berlin wall
And there was no doubt
About which side I was on
(Cont’d)
You're so cute when you're slurring your speech
But they're closing the bar and they want us to leave
And you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
No you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
'Cause I built you a home in my heart
With rotten wood, it decayed from the start
I'm a war of head versus heart
And it's always this way
My head is weak, my heart always speaks
Before I know what it will say
'Cause you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
No you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
And you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
No you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
I braved treacherous streets
And kids strung out
On homemade speed
And we shared a bed
In which I could not sleep at all
And you can't find nothing at all
If there was nothing there all along
There were churches, theme parks and malls
But there was nothing there all along.
'Cause at night the sun in retreat
Made the skyline look
Like crooked teeth
In the mouth of a man
Who was devouring, us both
Example #2—Tone/Metaphor Exercise
Break-ups/Lost Regret/Guilt
Relationship
Failure
Isolation
Bar closing
Horrible call
Decay
can’t sleep in
same bed
Night
descending
Head vs. heart
Built home
from rotten
wood
Nothing there
Which side I
was on
Tears hung in
the air
Sun in retreat
Berlin wall
Part II
• Ask students what is the idea behind the
song—how these images/words lead to
concept
• Play the song—how does the tone conflict
with the meaning or add to it?
Goals/Application
• Students learn how language/metaphor leads
to concept
• Students see how tone affects meaning
• Follow up in writing/literature classes with
writing where tone is at odds with meaning
• Have students experiment using metaphors
and descriptive language in their own writing
Example #3—Assessment Exercise
Mid-Semester/End of Semester Exercise
• Place 3 Major Goals on board in chart format
(1)Structure/Organization, (2) Writing
Style/Process (3) Reading/Interpretation/Idea
Generation
• Allow each student 5 minutes to fill out their
chart—place 2 skills that have developed over
the semester in each column
• Student then contributes one response publicly
to class—Professor creates master chart and
moderates
Example #3—Assessment Exercise
Mid-Semester/End of Semester Exercise
Structure/Organization
Writing Style/Process
Reading/Interpretation/
Idea Generation
Paragraphs
Integrating and Using
Quotes
Get past obvious/surface
Transitions
Clarity of Language—Get
Rid of Wordy Sentences
Inductive approach to
reach ideas
Beginning—set up conflict
Draft Process
Diff between
summary/analysis
Endings—so what
reflection
Close reading techniques
Exercise #3—Goals/Applications
• Students benefit from hearing classmates
responses; get a more well-rounded view of
the course before evaluations
• Professor can remind students of course
objectives and see if progress aligns
• Can modify exercise and do after first written
feedback is returned--solidifies expectations
without lecturing
Tips/Future Suggestions
• Reserve some time for open discussion within
collective class; keep spontaneity
• Does not have to take up whole class—giving
students time to write/reflect/collectively
respond to a question before opening up to
discussion can give confidence to quieter
students, and provide a foundation for later
discussion
• Questions?