What do you guys think about class parcipation

[SilverStone05]

Crock of shit or meaningful metric?

Just got a grade from a class. Keep in mind this is an accredited Master's program.

Exam 1- 100%
Exam 2 - 92%
Final Paper/Presentation - 88%
Participation - 30%

(exams weighted as 60% of grade/presentation is 30%)

The professor gave me a 'B', because he marked me very low in participation.

Granted, I missed 3 full classes out of 10 and this class was so boring, that when I was in the classroom I was on NsxPrime. :wink: It's important to note that his Nigerian Accent was so thick that he was difficult to understand.

Seeing as I obviously had a good grasp on the course material...think its fair that this guy gave me a 30% for participation and thus lowered me from an 'A' to a 'B'.? I was prepared for a low participation grade, but not a thirty.

 

[Budweiser®]

Shit - the same thing happened to me throughout undergrad.

Why should I be penalized because of my particular learning style? If I don't talk in class does that mean I don't learn as much as others?

Just out of curiosity, how many students were in the class?

 

[SilverStone05]

Shit - the same thing happened to me throughout undergrad.

Why should I be penalized because of my particular learning style? If I don't talk in class does that mean I don't learn as much as others?

Just out of curiosity, how many students were in the class?

29.

 

[gleibig]

I had a boring class in college that I missed 17 out of 20 times. All the teacher did was assign reading and we would discuss during class. zzzzzzzz. I did well on all the exams and still got an A.

 

[gdae]

The most important lesson I learned in college (should have learned it earlier!) is that professors are often egotistical and ALWAYS have their pet peeves. The good news is that they will tell you in no uncertain terms on the first day what they like and don't like. Learning the material is secondary to learning the professor.
Point: 1. Find out how the prof likes his butt kissed. 2. Pucker up and smmmmmooch it. 3. Get your grade and get on with your life.:smile:

 

[heySkippy]

Crock of shit or meaningful metric?
Seeing as I obviously had a good grasp on the course material...think its fair that this guy gave me a 30% for participation and thus lowered me from an 'A' to a 'B'.? I was prepared for a low participation grade, but not a thirty.

You missed 30% of the classes. I think the grade is fair.

 

[DucTerry]

I had a shitty teacher in a geomorphology class that thought participation grades were a good idea. I got a 0% participation because I attended class 4 out of 20 times. I made a B in the class and never took one with him again.

 

[Ibn Rushd]

Missing 30% of the classes seems like a lot, but you still went to 70%, and if he was basing it on the fact that you showed up in class (and sat quietly and "listened), then 70% would make sense, not 30%.


Because if he missed 20% should he get 20% of the participation mark? That doesn't make sense at all.

 

[nicholas421]

perhaps he explained in one of the classes you missed that attendance and participation was part of your grade.

 

[JonBoy]

That's a pretty rough participation grade for someone that attended 70% of the classes. However, if it was based on class discussion participation, not just attendance, then maybe he has a foot on which to stand?

I'd definitely go to him and ask about it. I'd be ticked to get a B in a class where my academic performance warranted a very clear A.

 

[H-carWizKid]

The most important lesson I learned in college (should have learned it earlier!) is that professors are often egotistical and ALWAYS have their pet peeves. The good news is that they will tell you in no uncertain terms on the first day what they like and don't like. Learning the material is secondary to learning the professor.
Point: 1. Find out how the prof likes his butt kissed. 2. Pucker up and smmmmmooch it. 3. Get your grade and get on with your life.:smile:

Ain't that the truth...

It took me two runs at college to finish up- the first time I was more interested in my own agenda, and often found myself at odds with the prof's. As a result my grades often didn't reflect how I felt about my performance.

The second time I went about it with a little humility and my grades went up across the board.

I can tell you that many prof's can be... what is the word? Egotistical? They look at the material they are teaching as if it is the most important information you will ever learn. If they percieve any sort of indifference on the part of the student they home in on it, and the end result can seem unfair.

Sometimes it is best to acknowledge the info in class and demonstrate your interest, either by participating in class discussions, or engaging the professor during office hours. If they believe you respect the course work it can go a long way.

 

[TomCat]

If the course guide said (or he briefed) that participation/attendence was part of the grade... :-(

 

[KooLaid]

Yeah, I was gonna say.... attendance and tardiness is usually a part of participation. Then for the slim chance they accept late assignments, that also counts as part of it. I actually get skipped in political science now when I try to participate because I'm guessing that I OVER participate. F#cking lame.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

You must have done poorly on your oral examination to get a particiption grade that low. :tongue:

 

[Q]

Working in the training industry, I find this interesting. The concept behind class participation is often times miscommunicated, whether it be the fault of the instructor or the student. The root of the problem is the definition between participation and attendance.

Many courses have a policy, and it's usually stated somewhere in the syllabus or course guide with something like, "Class participation is mandatory. Only one excused absence will be excepted and further absences will drop you a full letter grade."

What are the expectations for attendance? Are we strictly talking attendance or class participation? Or both? In your case, you indicated you were graded on participation, but you didn't indicate anything about actual attendance. So, your attendance didn't necessarily affect your grade; your participation did. Of course I wasn't there to see if you actually contributed anything to things such as class discussions. I'm not pointing fingers, but generally those that miss class generally aren't participating in classroom discussion or projects. Again, I'm not judging you. Trust me, I have had TERRIBLE instructors in my day and I can relate! :smile:

Talk to your instructor next time and make sure you both understand the ground rules. I find that most instructors will be a little flexible if you're simply up front with them as to why you can't attend a class. However, don't take advantage of them. We can smell that a mile away.

 

[NSXrunner]

I vote crock! Different people learn differently. For what it's worth I always got good marks in class participation because I learned that participating helped keep me from falling asleep.

 

[Q]

Great, I agree people learn better using different methodologies than others. Differentiated instruction is a proven way to help knowledge retention and interest with various learning styles. A good course is one that teaches concepts through various mediums and scenarios. Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with attendance and participation. The fact remains, if attendance/participation is part of the grade, then be expected to play by the ground rules.

 

[Miner]

If all three tests were 95% or better, I'd say you might have a beef. Your trend of decreasing test scores indicate you missed on learning, perhaps due to your attendance.

If the grading was explained at the start of the class, you could easily scored better on that part. It would have made the difference between an A and a B.

Undergrad school is more about following directions than learning, and grad school it seems is more about working in a group than anything; at least that has been my perspective.

Not at all fair, but the way it seems.

Miner

 

[steveny]

I think it's the same as a cop on a power trip.

 

[Big_D]

He probably noticed that you weren't paying attention to his lectures. Also your attendance was less than exemplary so I am sure between the two its probably fair.

BTW, Its very annoying when you are presenting and someone is pecking on a laptop.:wink: