Class participation

Assessment based on active and satisfactory class participation

In connection with class participation, the students are assessed based on the degree to which their participation in the teaching meets the academic objectives of the course. Participation can take the form of various student contributions, such as giving student presentations, submitting assignments, providing peer feedback or revising contributions based on feedback. Other less measurable requirements are associated with active participation in discussions and group work.

This form of examination should not be confused with class participation as a prerequisite for taking the ordinary exam, where class participation qualifies the student for the exam.

Didactic considerations:

Provides the opportunity to establish a close link between teaching and exam.
The form of examination is potentially effective in relation to improving completion times.
The form of examination is learning-oriented because it makes it possible to work systematically and formatively with the content of the course, focusing on both acquisition and use, as well as ensuring a close connection between the level of study activity and the exam.
Encourages work with a repertoire of student activities instead of simply registering that students are present. So this form of examination is not suitable when lectures are used as the dominant form of instruction.
Please note: If the quality of the student’s efforts is not included in the assessment, but it is only estimated whether the student has submitted a sufficient number of contributions, this form of examination may lead to a lack of quality in the study activities. The student’s class participation is assessed based on the extent to which the student meets the academic objectives.
Choice of re-examination: The practice at the Faculty of Arts is one course, one form of examination. This is a result of the requirements for alignment set out in the ministerial order, the consideration for the students’ completion rate and the provisions of the degree programme review on the use of resources in the administration. However, there is also a legal requirement that class participation cannot be repeated as a re-examination. For this reason, the form of re-examination chosen should be suitable for testing the students based on the same academic objectives and content as the ordinary exam. A portfolio exam will typically be an obvious form of re-examination when the ordinary exam is class participation, as it may contain many different types of contributions just like class participation.

Considerations regarding resources:

For students: Results in an even workload during the semester.
For teaching staff: Requires increased interaction with the students in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Teaching resources required for traditional summative testing in other forms of examination should be used for learning-oriented testing.
For the administration: Can in many cases be used instead of an administratively complicated combination exam.

Administrative and legal considerations:

May contain written assignments, products, presentations, peer feedback etc. which are often specified by the teacher on Blackboard at the start of the semester. Should preferably contain reflection on the student’s own learning process.
The teacher may keep a list of the students who have passed the exam and submit it to the exam administration staff.
The submission of assignments should be arranged by the students and the teacher on Blackboard.
Assessed as passed/not passed.
No co-examination, as only the teacher assesses the students.
Requires a different form of re-examination, as the student cannot repeat class participation at the re-examination. Efforts should be made to ensure that the student can reuse the elements from the ordinary exam at the re-examination. For this reason, a good form of re-examination in connection with class participation will often be a portfolio.

Revised 29.09.2020

Pernille Risør Elving