How to Improve Your Participation (and Grade) in (Online) University Classes

As many students prepare to “return” to classes this Fall, many will find that their classes are online rather than in-person (even if they begin in-person). It may then be helpful to have a shortlist of the kinds of questions that work well in college classes. I’ve compiled such a list to make life a little easier for you. I’ve also included examples.

As I’ve written elsewhere, online classes require more of students. More specifically, they require students to be more active and engaged. Added engagement is rewarded not only with better grades, better relationships with professors, and more of a connection with your peers but also by helping to avoid or alleviate the extreme boredom that lies in store for those who merely stare into their webcam while some professor they’ve never met holds forth about a book or essay they’ve not read 2–3 times a week for 14 weeks (which sounds to me like a form of techno-dystopian torture-at-a-distance). Only YOU can free yourself from the potential prison of online learning, and you can start by asking questions.

But we all know that participating in class can be difficult. One of the reasons is that we don’t want to sound foolish so we simply stay quiet. Fear of embarrassment, like fear of flying, must be overcome by confronting the object of one’s fear head-on: by speaking in class or by getting on a plane, respectively. It will get easier through sheer repetition, the basic principle of all cognitive-behavioral therapy. You may even start to like it. The list of questions below can help give you a bit of courage by taking the guesswork out of formulating a good question.

One thing that makes class participation easier is to prepare a few questions in advance. Your professor is your gatekeeper, but a strange kind of gatekeeper insofar as they want to help you through the gate. But to thrive online (or in-person) you need to regularly speak up. So without further ado, here is list of the types of questions (with examples) to help you become a more active member of your class:

· Ask for a definition.

Example: “The word “dislocation” keeps coming up, what exactly does that term mean and is the author using it in a way that is different from other definitions?”

· Ask for clarification.

Example: “So is the author saying that while we as individuals are not responsible for what our ancestors did we are responsible for how we take up and address the legacy that they have created and which we have inherited?”

· Ask for an example.

Example: “I’m not sure I get it. Can you give us an example of dramatic irony?”

· Ask about the relationship between key terms.

Example: “How does colonialism relate to modernity?”

· Develop an analogy or metaphor for the lesson and ask if it’s a good one.

Example: “Does the national highway system work for the economy in the same way that the vascular system relates works for our bodies?”

· Complicate the issue, term, or lesson.

Example: “We have been using the term ‘nature’ and opposing it to ‘culture. But ‘culture’ arises from the natural condition of human beings. Some societies don’t even make the distinction between ‘nature’ and ‘culture.’ Are ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ the best way to capture the things we want to talk about or are they simply confused?”

· Respond to another student's comment or question.

Example: “I really like what X said, and I wonder if she could flesh it out a bit to help me understand more clearly what she meant.”

· Tie-in the topic with current events.

Example: “Is this similar to the way that the BLM protests are mischaracterized in the popular media today?”

· Draw out the implications for the lesson, term, or issue.

Example: “So if methane released from cows is a major contributor to global warming, shouldn’t we stop subsiding the beef industry?”

· Bring up a counter-example to play devil’s advocate.

Example: “We’ve learned that increasing price lowers demand, but what about luxury goods where increases in price seems to make products even more desirable thereby increasing demand?”

Of course, these are just suggestions. There are many more kinds of questions and you will need to tailor what you ask to your classes. As a rule of thumb, keep your questions simple and short. Good questions don’t require a long preamble. Use personal anecdotes very sparingly, if at all. If possible, generate questions and comments that respond to other students.

As I said before, online classes run the risk of being very dull. One added bonus of participating is that you get a natural rush. If you are tired or bored in your online class then asking a question or offering a comment can give you a boost to keep you going.

For more on how to get the most out of the college classroom (online or off), check out www.habitusedu.com, @habitus_edu on Twitter, habitus_edu on Instagram, or like Habitus on Facebook.