TEACHx 2024

Engaging in active participation in the classroom not only fosters co-construction of knowledge, but also plays a pivotal role in developing collaboration and interpersonal skills crucial for students’ career readiness. In language classes, participation is especially instrumental in the development of fluency and accuracy in the target language. Acknowledging the fundamental role of active classroom engagement, many courses allocate a significant proportion of students’ final grade to this aspect. However, the reliance on traditional methods of evaluating participation, involving instructor recall and subjective interpretations, proves imprecise and subject to unconscious bias, potentially reproducing inequalities in the learning environment. These shortcomings underscore the need for alternative assessment practices that are bias-resistant, incorporate multiple means of active engagement, encourage motivational practices, and place the student at the center of learning. This presentation introduces a new pedagogical tool to assess participation as skill-building and illustrates how Canvas was used in a multi-section Spanish course to establish a feedback mechanism to encourage self-regulation and create the space for adjusting participation behaviors. The session will delve into the tool’s impact on student outcomes and will end with a forward-looking discussion on challenges and avenues for the continued refinement and development of this innovative assessment tool.