#  Calling on students in equitable ways 

 



##  Calling on students in equitable ways 

Patterns of classroom participation can take shape very early in a semester and become further cemented with each class session. Students who do not perceive professors’ strategies of soliciting participation as fair or purposeful may be less apt to contribute. Establishing inclusive, equitable norms of participation the very first class sessions is essential. In this video, Tim McCarthy demonstrates that even in a seminar setting he calls on students to monitor equitable participation.

*Profiled:* [*Timothy Patrick McCarthy*](https://prod-instructionalmoves.drupalsites.harvard.edu/timothy-mccarthy)*, Lecturer on History and Literature, teaches "Stories of Slavery & Freedom" to 16 students at Harvard College.*



 

 

 

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 Classroom Considerations Relevant Research Related Resources 

## Classroom Considerations

 

 

- Establish the norm (or some equivalent) that all students wishing to participate raise their hands for you to call on them
- Consider the broader implications of your discussion strategies through their resulting participation patterns among students and how those patterns correlate with the classroom’s demographic makeup
- Elevate historically marginalized voices



 



 

 

 

## Relevant Research

 

 

- One study demonstrates that providing opportunities for regular collaboration and interaction during class can help address performance gender gaps in the physics classroom while improving student understanding in general ([Lorenzo, 2006](http://aapt.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1119/1.2162549))
- Billson posits that varied opportunities for discussion, formal and informal, encourages voluntary participation among students, takes into account students’ comfortability, and reduces participation anxiety [(1986)](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1318467)
- Billson additionally suggests that allowing for interruption in discussion may only reinforce the dominance of extroverted students in class, while non-interruption, conversely, may afford greater inclusivity by carving out space for quieter students to become more involved and voice their thoughts [(1986)](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1318467?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents)



 



 

 

 

## Related Resources

 

 

- The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at University of Michigan offers tips for [“Creating Inclusive College Classrooms”](https://crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1)
- An article from [*Life Sciences Education*](http://www.lifescied.org/content/12/3/322.full) outlines a wealth of practices that promote greater equity in classrooms



 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ McCarthy, Timothy ](/instructors/mccarthy-timothy)
- [ Facilitating Discussions ](/modules/facilitating-discussions)
- [ Balancing and Pacing the Discussion ](/moves/balancing-and-pacing-discussion)
- [ How do I ensure every student has the chance to learn through classroom discussion? ](/sub-modules/how-do-i-ensure-every-student-has-chance-learn-through-classroom-discussion)
- [ Harvard College ](/school/harvard-college)