Found an interesting little piece in the most recent issue of University Affairs on participation grades. The piece was written by Emma Tranter, a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton. It raises some interesting questions about the practice of allocating grades for participation in the post-secondary classroom. Does this practice discriminate against students who are introverts? What constitutes “participation” – what does it look like, or what could it look like? Why is this practice as prevalent as it is? What outcomes are trying to cultivate through participation grades? Should there be an upper limit to the weighting faculty members attach to such grades? Food for thought. Comments welcome:)