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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Can I ask a dumb question?  Are professors no longer allowed to use class participation as part of a grade?

I took many classes where class participation was like 10% of the grade.  Now, not every kid was called in every class, but it was enough of a stick that few skipped the class and most paid attention.

[/quote]

Not a professor but my DC was dinged by attending every weekly discussion session with the TA but not saying anything - it was 10% of grade and the TA gave them a very low grade on that portion.  They had thought they were on track for an A based on very high test scores....not so much....maybe they learned it has consequences? Hard to say (I hope so).  I think some of their other classes had TA's that were just happy for students to attend those sessions vs speaking and attending.[/quote]

The rubric should have defined what "participation" meant.  Also all TAs for a single course should be grading with similar rubrics.  [/quote]

I can't know whether either of these were done (defined participation and consistency across TAs) but honestly, I'd prefer DC to take it as a "lesson" and speak up in class vs use things like these to explain it away. It's a lesson they should have heard (and remedied) already - the message isn't new. You have many great ideas, we'd like to hear you share those ideas in class.[/quote]

Of course your kid should take it as a lesson.

But a professor should always define what goes into a grade in the rubric.  And in reality, should make sure all of their TAs are running their sessions in a similar manner.

Similarly, I strongly dislike profs who change the rubric midway thru the semester.  My kid had one who did that (I did as well in college).  Initially HW/Participation was only 5%.  When majority were doing poorly, they reduced the amount exams accounted for and increased HW/Participation to 25%.  That doesn't bode well for kids who calculated they didn't need the HW/Participation portion to get an A/A-, and instead chose to focus their efforts on other courses.  IMO, those kids should not be penalized for what was a calculated decision made based on the original rubric.  The prof should offer students the choice to use A (original rubric) or B (adjusted rubric) but should not change it for everyone.

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I agree with your point that things should not be changed halfway through, or if the professor deems the change important, they should prorate grades accordingly. However, to my point above (I'm one of the profs weighing in), this is a transactional view of grades - they are focused on the grade itself, and not the learning. Homeworks and participation should not be busy work, they are valuable parts of the learning experience. Perhaps the professor did not explain their justification for the change, but they may have wanted to encourage more active learning along the way, which would then lead to better grades on the exams. It's not one or the other - there is cause and effect. [/quote]

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