Developing Math Communication Skill Through Class Participation

Maria Robinson, University of Arizona

Students often come to class with the expectation that they only need to take notes in class. A class participation grade requires students to think about the mathematics that is being presented to them as well as communicate mathematics to others. Most students obtain their participation grade from in-class questions and discussion. This interaction encourages students to think on their feet unlike class presentations, which allow students to present mathematics that they have carefully studied. Traditionally, methods for assessing class participation take place at the end of the semester when the instructor decides the grade of borderline students. Assessing in this manner is dependent on the instructor’s recollection of how the student participated throughout the semester. This method does not inform the student of how important class participation is to her learning of mathematics or to her grade.

I have developed a method for assessing a student’s participation that is immediate and ongoing. During each lecture I throw a Koosh ball when a student either answers my question in an intelligent manner or asks one of his own. This method of assessing does not interfere with the flow of my lecture because I do not need to record who is participating until the end of class. At the end of each class each student with a Koosh ball returns it to me, and I record a point toward his total participation grade. I can record participation in my class beginning on the first day of the semester, even before I have learned anyone’s name. For students who have questions, but do not like to ask them in front of peers, they can still get their participation points by coming to me to talk about mathematics one-on-one.

Unfortunately, not every student is comfortable speaking in front of others. This may be because the student is extremely shy, or the student was educated in an environment in which talking in class was not encouraged, or even if the student has a physical handicap impeding her speech. Therefore I offer other opportunities for students to earn participation points because I think it is very important that the student communicate mathematics in a way other than homework assignments or exams. For those students who are very comfortable with the material, but who do not like talking in class they have the opportunity to answer thought-provoking questions or open-ended questions. The questions along with the student solutions are posted on the Internet. The number of participation points that the solutions garner depends on the quality of the written work.

Survey data supports the idea that class participation enriches every student’s class experience. Even the students who do not speak in class benefit from the questions and comments of others. Communicating mathematics is a skill that not all students share equally. Because class participation is a defined part of their grade, students have incentive to develop their skill at communicating mathematics effectively.