Participation
Participation is very important for this class since one of its main learning objectives is to improve students’ ability to analyze and evaluate interpretations of the medieval past. At minimum, students are expected to log in to online lectures and tutorials having read and processed the readings, and be willing to talk about them. Students are expected to engage during the course to identify key themes and issues, evaluate the authors’ positions/reasoning/logic, ask and answer questions from classmates and the professor, etc.
Normally, this takes place in person – during class lectures and small group discussions, and through one-on-one interaction with the professor and TA (office hours, conversations before/after class).
Clearly – the distance-learning nature of this term will make all that a little different. I suspect that we will experiment with a number of different methods of trying to elicit student engagement during class before landing on those that work the best for us
Be Prepared
The most important part of participation is being prepared. You might be willing to contribute and be able to speak persuasively, but this does not contribute if you have not read and thought about the materials assigned for each class. You are asked to make annotations on the readings of the textbook each week. This will be an important part of your participation. You'll be asked to write a minimum of seven (7) annotations each week.
We are going to experiment with the QQTPA method for class. When you are reading the textbook on Perusall in preparation for class, you are asked to highlight key texts, pose questions and make comments in the margins of the textbooks. Make sure to write:
a Question: Write a discussion question based on any one of the readings assigned. As you read assigned materials, note where questions come to mind about the ideas, timeline, methods or conclusions. This can be a simple, "What is X the author is talking about" or a thoughtful question that invites analysis, synthesis, or evaluation of the material, or makes connections between the readings/ previous discussion.
a Quotation: Identify a quotation from the reading material. Find something that is especially pertinent –in your opinion– to the main points of the readings. Your selection should be neither too short (1 line) nor too long (10-12 lines). Provide a proper citation.
a Talking Point: Develop a talking point – an issue or idea developed from the reading that is of interest to you. Let us “see inside your head” as you think about, accept, reject, or otherwise engage the reading material. You do not need to answer your question (no. 1) here, but you should discuss why you think it is an important one to consider.
an Answer: As your reading the textbook and reader on Perusall, read through other students' questions and try to answer one.
How to Participate
Our plan is to give students a wide variety of opportunities to actively participate in the course. In fact, students may actually have more ways to show participation in this online model. Students will be able to actively participate through the following :
Annotation and commenting on Perusall.
Students are asked to read, comment on and reflect on the textbook readings (and additional assigned/optional texts) via Perusall.
Students are expected to provide at minimum 7 annotations per reading assignment.
Q+A periods during lectures
Students will be encouraged to add questions/comments throughout lectures; during mid-lecture Q+A periods, the profs and TA’s will pick several questions/comments to discuss further/respond to
Chat commentary during class
Students will be able to engage each other and the TA’s in real-time discussion throughout the lecture using the chat function)
Small group breakout sessions during class
At some point during most classes, students will be broken up into small (5 person) breakout groups to discuss a particular question/theme, after which groups will be invited to report back to the full class.
Additional voluntary discussion group meetings
The aim of these meetings is to give students another opportunity to connect and dive deeper into any of the intellectual content of the course.
Discussions with TA/prof during office hours
General principles of evaluation:
Points | Nature of Participation |
0 | Student does not engage in participation (i.e. ask questions on Teams, respond during synchronous portion of class, attend optional group discussions, etc.) and has not done the readings. |
1 | Student participates but has not read the readings. |
2 | Student does not participate, but has read the readings (but maybe not annotated). |
3 | Student participates and has done the readings with minimum number of annotations on Perusall. |
4 | Student participates more than typical and shows considerable engagement with the readings on Perusall. |
5 | Student participates exceptionally (is online synchronously, asks questions and gives answers during class, posts on Teams and help peers, attends the optional discussion group) and shows exceptional engagement with the readings on Perusall. |
Given the variety of factors that might impact a given student’s ability to participate fully and consistently through any one of these methods (and to ensure that the professor can be as flexible as possible accommodating students’ specific situations), participation will be understood holistically. That is to say, participation is viewed as the sum total of a student’s participation through all of the above (and other) methods – meaning that it is possible for students to successfully satisfy their participation mark without engaging in all types of participation every week.
In general, here are some examples of the type of questions students will be asked to think about in evaluating their participation:
Did the student remain strongly focused during the class and did s/he/they seek to actively listen/process/integrate the ideas during class lectures/discussions?
Did the student participate in class discussion (e.g. through live questions/comments; through the chat/whiteboard functions; during voluntary discussion groups)?
Did the student demonstrate significant and insightful knowledge regarding class material (has s/he been able to consistently answer questions about the readings in class, pose thoughtful questions in/outside of class, demonstrated that s/he/they has attempted to connect the themes/ideas of class to the contemporary world, etc)?
Did the student enhance the learning environment by participating respectfully in discussions with her/his colleagues?
While you will be asked to self-evaluate your participation, your instructors and teaching assistant will keep track of their subjective evaluation of your work.
First, in each class, the professors and TA will track and record attendance and observable forms of participation– including live questions/comments; whiteboard comments/questions; content engagement on the chat board; discussions in breakout groups; etc.
Second, at the end of each week, you will be asked given a link to a MS Form and fill out the ‘Class Participation Self-Evaluation’ questionnaire for the relevant class. It will ask you to holistically self-evaluate your participation based on a detailed rubric. This will allow you to give us an idea of where you think your participation each class falls on the scale.
If the professors assess that a student has consistently (i.e. in every class) participated at an exceptional level throughout the term, the professors may decide to reward bonus marks, above what the student has self-assessed.
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