Assessing Participation and Consistency in Portfolios

Grades, particularly the midterm grade, should reflect not just the student’s written work in the course but also their consistency of participation and engagement, which accounts for 30% of their final grade per the model syllabus. For this reason, we recommend including participation/engagement as part of each portfolio grade to create transparency and accountability for students in this area of assessment.

Engagement is a broad category that includes attendance but also engagement with ideas, activities, and classmates within the classroom. Because the category is so broad, it can be nebulous for students. In addition, particularly in these years after pandemic online learning, many students are struggling to know how to engage in the classroom. Providing students with clear instructions and expectations through both pedagogy and policy is crucial for students learning how they can and should participate in the work of the class. Participation should account for no less than 10% and no more than 30% of the course grade, and should be well defined.

Be aware that your class may be unique among students’ classes, due to its size and instructor attentiveness. As such, you should communicate your expectations for engagement to students. You can do this through policy in the syllabus (for example, an attendance policy that notes a particular participation grade associated with a number of absences), but also through the structures you put in place for communication. Some examples may be using discussion boards or Google Docs for student questions, teaching students how to write a professional email, holding regular office hours in person or online, etc.

Additionally, clearly define engagement and identify how you are assessing it, being aware of learning style, disability, and classroom culture. Try not to only equate engagement with attendance, though that can be a useful metric. Additionally, avoid only considering whole class verbal responses as the sole metric of engagement. Consider using free writes, group work, introductory questions, exit polls, etc. as ways to gauge engagement. Students communicate in a variety of ways, and they will be requested to communicate in a variety of ways in other contexts. Try to create low-stakes opportunities for them to practice their engagement and collaboration skills.

Invite students to communicate with you when they are having issues with engagement, whether due to personal or educational circumstances. Students may be struggling for any number of reasons, and so create space for them to share (without requiring them to disclose details) when they are unable to participate in the ways you are expecting them to do so. If the issue is ongoing, consider a one-on-one conversation with the student in which you discuss their engagement and work toward a solution that will allow them to participate fully in class while allowing you to see how they are thinking and learning.

Identify issues with engagement early and often. If a student has stopped coming to class, communicating with you, and/or turning in work, it is likely an indication that the student is struggling. Program research shows that students who struggle in E100 frequently struggle in their other classes, and so E100 can provide the prompt that advisors need to reach out and support the student.

Consider asking students to account for their engagement in their sequence portfolio. This could be done through:

• Expanded cover letter – provide additional questions that prompt students to reflect on their own engagement throughout the unit. Show them specific examples or suggestions.
• Self-assessment rubric or additional statement of engagement – develop a rubric through which students can assess their own engagement, possibly even asking them to assign themselves a grade. You can ask them to justify this grade through specific references to their work throughout the sequence.
• Checklist for attendance and engagement – students could report on their attendance and participation through a simple checklist included in their portfolio, assuring that they are aware of their own practices and how they will be assessed according to clear course policies.
• Inclusion of artifacts (free writes, daily work, discussion forum posts, etc.) – students could select 1-2 minor artifacts for inclusion in their portfolio that demonstrate their engagement over the course of the sequence.

If you use a rubric, consider adapting your rubric to include participation and engagement. Including engagement and consistency in portfolio grades will provide students with a better indication of their final course grade, as well as give them the opportunity to make adjustments to their choices, behaviors, and communication throughout the semester.