5.2 Participation

Students are expected to contribute actively to a positive classroom environment, both in person and online. Simply "being present" is a good first step, but earning full marks requires more than that.

Common sense and common courtesy tell us that absences, late arrivals and early departures, lack of preparation, or attention, or manners (such as using electronic devices when you should be focusing on something else, or eating more than a discreet snack) will impact your participation grade. Those who contribute above and beyond the call of duty will receive a bonus.

Students who dislike public speaking may wish to invest more effort in their online writing, and vice-versa.

Class participation may raise a student's final grade by up to 1/3 of a letter grade, or lower it by up to a full letter grade.  Having above-average class participation will earn you a slight boost if your final grade falls near a border (e.g. I will have a reason to report a 2.95 as a B).