Academic

"Of Pedagogical Epiphanies ..."

By Tim Zinnecker

Suffolk law professor Jeff Lipshaw (pictured) posted "Of Pedagogical Epiphanies and the "On Call" List - Will the Deontological Prevail Over the Consequential in Class Participation?" yesterday at the Legal Profession Blog (where he is one of the founding contributors).  In his post, Jeff reflects on the topic of  "classroom participation," sharing what has (and has not) worked well for him.  His thoughts are worth reading.  Here's the link.

I hope others will comment on what has and has not worked in the classroom.  Perhaps some of us are too set in our ways to change (not me, as I'm reminded each semester by section 1-103(a)(2) of the beloved UCC) , but perhaps our readers include law professors just getting their feet wet.  Genuine enthusiasm for the subject is a must, but only goes so far.  What other factors might influence student participation?  First-year courses v. upper level courses?  Required courses v. electives?  Cases v. problems?  Random recitation v. panels v. rows v. volunteers?  Morning v. afternoon v. evening courses?  Attendance taken (or not)?  Laptops permitted (or prohibited)?  Small enrollment v. medium v. large?  Classroom configuration (auditorium, conference table, etc.)?  Participation graded (or ungraded)?

Full post as published by The Faculty Lounge on September 02, 2009 (boomark / email).