Action:

• When establishing norms for classroom discussions on the first day of class, ask students to raise their hands rather than shouting contributions.
• Tell students that you’ll wait to see at least a certain number of hands up before calling on anyone.
• You can call on students who have volunteered, but who typically contribute less often.
• Explain your reason for employing this technique to students.
• If you sometimes want them to raise their hands and other times shout shout out the answer, make clear to them when each is appropriate.

Reason:

• Faculty expectations for students vary and there is no way for students to know the norm unless it is explicit.
• This can help ensure that all students have the opportunity to think through a problem you pose before someone says an answer.