Expected Behavior: Attend
class, be prepared, and contribute to the class' learning by asking and
answering questions, contributing to case discussions.
Observe
rules of civil discourse (e.g. do not insult other members of the
class).
Purpose of this component of the
grade:
There is a "public good" component of the progress of the class.
We all benefit from the level of discussion, so we should all
contribute
to it. Also, participation in class gives me more rich
information
about your grasp of the class material.
How I will grade participation:
I will observe participation, and make notes to aid my memory as the
semester
progresses. I give each student a "raw score" of 0,1, or 2 for
each class, and at the end of the semester I convert the raw score into
a grade out of 20 using a curve which generally ranges from 10 to 20
for students who are good class citizens (that is, those who attend always,
participate in good faith in exercises, and otherwise support a
positive learning environment).
I will also consider your
professionalism
in class as part of the participation grade. If you violate the
key norms of professional conduct (e.g., by typing on your laptop
during class, or disrupting a group presentation by coming in late or
engaging in an off-line conversation) I’ll remove participation
points. My goal with this policy is not to hand out punishments,
but rather to establish incentives for a classroom environment that is
productive for all of us.
If you have trouble participation:
Participation will be an important part of many classes in the MBA
program,
so now is the best time to work on it. Start by preparing
carefully,
and thinking before class about a comment you might make, or a question
you might ask a group presenting a case. Often, this early
preparation
will make it easier to participate. If this doesn't work for you,
see me and we'll try other approaches. If you have trouble
participating
it is useful to let me know, so I can look for you when you are ready
to
jump into the conversation.