Participation of all the students in classroom discussion plays a crucial role. It is important to set the right tone for discussion in the classroom early on in the semester, and to establish a rapport with your students. Classroom discussion is quite straightforward and often quite successful at accomplishing a number of learning goals.
Participation adds interest—It’s hard to maintain students’ focus and attention when all they hear is the professor talking. It helps to hear another voice as well as an answer or another point of view.
Participation engages students—Classroom discussion leads to good question and motivate them to think, and motivate them to make connections with the content. This benefit is magnified when teachers play a bit with the question, when they repeat it, write it on the board, and don’t call on the first hand they see.
Provides the teacher feedback—when students answer or try to explain, teachers can see the extent of their understanding. They can correct what the students haven’t got right or don’t see quite clearly.
Participation provides the students feedback—when teachers ask questions or otherwise seek student input over a topic, they are letting students know something about the importance of certain ideas and information.
Participation can be used to promote preparation—if an instructor regularly calls on students and asks questions about assigned reading or what’s in their notes from the previous class session that can get students coming to class prepared.
Participation can be used to control what’s happening in class—if a student is dozing off, texting, quietly chatting, or otherwise not attending to what’s happening, that student can be called on or the student next to the offender can be asked to respond.
Participation encourages dialogue among and between students—Students can be asked to comment on what another student has said. A question can be asked and students can be invited to discuss possible answers with each other before the public discussion.
Participation can be used to develop important speaking skills—Class room discussion helps the students to speak and as a result these help them to develop better communication skill.
Participation gives students the opportunity to practice using the language of the discipline—most faculties have spoken astronomy, accounting, psychology, gerontology, political science, whatever the field for years, and they’ve forgotten how much of the language is new, different, and difficult for students. Participation gives students the chance to practice using a different vocabulary.