Evaluating participation

Image by lynn dombrowski; Used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Evaluating student participation in tutorials or seminars can be a challenge for everyone from first time TAs to experienced instructors.

Recently, I came across an interesting suggestion posted on the Student Participation/Active Learning page on the website of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.  They offer the suggestion of providing students with the opportunity to assess themselves part-way through the term and receive feedback.  The blockquote below shows the choices that the University of the Sciences suggest for students to engage with for self-assessment:

1. I contribute worthwhile comments several times during every class. Please cite an example
2. I contribute one or more worthwhile comments almost every class. Please cite and example
3. I often contribute or participate in class discussions. Please cite an example
4. I occasionally contribute
5. I rarely contribute