The phrase “class participation” has appeared on nearly every syllabus I have received thus far in my college career. For some, it means a chance to unlock new connections with the material and academic peers; for others, it’s a minefield of potential embarrassment and social anxiety.
Professors establish early on in the semester that they expect students to engage with their material, but they often fail to consider what level of participation students might be comfortable with or even what that engagement will look like in the classroom.
According to a study from NYU, “…72% of those surveyed felt that an increase in classroom involvement would lead to academic improvement.” Meanwhile, “56% of the students felt that their knowledge and understanding of math would improve if they participated more frequently.”
Despite this data, however, it’s hard to say that regular participation is for everyone. College is a unique experience for each of us, so we shouldn’t all be expected to engage in the same way.
Some, including myself, find that engaging in class conversation is the best way to learn about more abstract concepts. I personally can’t be expected to passively digest the concepts of political theory; I have to converse with the professor and interrogate the material.
But not everyone functions this way. Others find the idea of engaging in class discussion not as liberating and informative, but terrifying.
“It depends on the student,” history junior Chandler Clegg said about class participation. “When it comes to people who are in school for something that they’re really passionate about, I think most of them do participate, but only when the material engages with their interests. When it comes to a course that I genuinely enjoy, or if the course material is engaging, I always participate and I think the same applies to most people.”
Participation — even in our Zoom-filled world — is not as simple as just talking about the material. Real estate in a class discussion is valuable, so sometimes students are reluctant to participate because they want to make sure that what they have to say is worth sharing and a worthy addition to the tapestry of the conversation.
Social fears can overwhelm the minds of students who find the idea of participation a nightmare. Anxiety makes it nearly impossible for those individuals to engage with their classes, even if they are truly passionate about what is being discussed.
“In larger classes, I feel extremely nervous because if I get the question wrong, it will feel like a public execution,” animal science sophomore Caroline Babin shared about her own experience with the subject. “In small classes, though, I feel more of a sense of community. People are more likely to help in those smaller classes.”
Education is not an exact science. Some people learn differently from others, so requiring “class participation” can be a boon to one student and a bane for another.
Sure, there’s some benefit to increased participation, but there’s also a severe detriment that can come from requiring an unwilling student to participate in an environment in which they feel uncomfortable.
There’s no reason to end class participation entirely, but sometimes we need to silently engage with ourselves and interrogate our own understanding of a concept instead of participating in open dialogue — and that’s alright. Everyone has the right to decide how they’re going to participate in a class, be it through active involvement or thoughtful introspection.
Domenic Purdy is a 19-year-old journalism sophomore from Prairieville.